NFL Spin Zone names Donald Penn as likely veteran to be cut
By Brad Weiss
The Oakland Raiders drafted two offensive tackles in the first three rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft, but does that mean Donald Penn is on his way out?
During his time with the Oakland Raiders, Donald Penn has done an incredible job protecting quarterback Derek Carr. In fact, the only sack he allowed back in 2016 was in Week 16, although the hit destroyed any chance of the Raiders going deep into the playoffs.
In April, the Raiders drafted UCLA left tackle Kolton Miller with the No. 15 overall pick, and Penn was not too happy about it. He actually called head coach Jon Gruden immediately following the selection, and the conversation was not a friendly one.
With that in the rearview mirror, it is time to get down to business, and that means Penn getting back on the field. He broke his foot, resulting in lis franc surgery, and has yet to get back to 100 percent. Still, he has been with the first team in walkthroughs, and is very much slated to be the starting left tackle in Oakland in 2018.
On Sunday, NFL Spin Zone released a list of one veteran per each team who are likely to be cut this summer. Surprisingly, Penn was the player chosen by Randy Gurzi, who cited his call with Gruden, and the fact the team picked Miller in the first round.
Of course, you never want to be in bad terms with Gruden, but the relationship seems to be fine now. Penn told NFL Total Access that Gruden coming to Oakland was like the Golden State Warriors getting Steve Kerr, so you can see how much Penn respects the coach.
Next: 2018 Oakland Raiders Depth Chart: The Quarterbacks
In all seriousness, the odds of Penn being cut are pretty slim at this point. Gruden is building this team to win right away, and while guys like Parker and Miller may be legitimate left tackles in the future, the 2018 season is no time for the team to put a rookie in to protect Carr’s blindside.