With the Oakland Raiders taking care of business against the Detroit Lions in preseason game one, we dive into a 53-man roster projection.
The Oakland Raiders kicked off their 2018 preseason schedule with a win on Friday night, as they beat the Detroit Lions inside the Oakland Coliseum. It was the first win, albeit a preseason win, for head coach Jon Gruden in his return to Oakland, where the hope is he can bring back that winning swagger from over 15 years ago.
With Friday’s game fresh in our minds, we take a look at a projected 53-man roster for the Raiders, who will take on the Los Angeles Rams in preseason game No. 2 on Saturday afternoon.
Special Teams (3): K Eddy Pineiro, P Johnny Townsend, LS Andrew DePaola
The job of starting kicker for the Raiders was supposed to come down to a battle this summer, with rookie Eddy Pineiro trying to take the spot from holdover Giorgio Tavecchio. Well, the coaching staff saw enough in the rookie to basically hand him the job, and he did a fantastic job proving them right against the Lions.
Pineiro connected on all three of his field goals, including a 48-yarder from the dirt, in what was his first real test in a Raiders uniform. He showed incredible accuracy, a strong leg, and even added in a made extra point for good measure.
In 2018, the Raiders punter will also be a rookie, who just happens to be Pineiro’s college teammate at Florida. In his first preseason game in the NFL, Johnny Townsend punted five times, averaging nearly 40 yards per punt, while pinning the ball inside the 20 three times.
All in all, a solid job by both rookies on Friday night.