The Raiders brought in former Bills Pro Bowl guard Richie Incognito this off-season. Although Incognito is an incredible player on the field, he has off the field issues that hold him back.
The Oakland Raiders will be without Richie Incognito for the first two games of the 2019 NFL season, after he was suspended for two games for violating the personal conduct policy of the NFL. Incognito had an issue last month at a funeral home in Arizona following the death of his father.
The Raiders will have to be without Incognito against two division rivals; the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders have a couple of options on how to move their offensive line around for these two games.
The most likely option is that the Raiders will place Denzelle Good at left guard during Incognitos absence. Good started the last few games with the Raiders last season at right guard when Gabe Jackson went down with an injury. Good was the expected starter at this position before the Raiders picked up Incognito, and the Raiders staff had good things to say about him in the media during that time.
Another option would be to move Gabe Jackson to the left side for the time being, and placing Denver Kirkland at right guard until Incognito returns. Gabe Jackson is a solid guard, and if the Raiders believe they need more protection in the left side, they may move their best guard there.
The last option, although it is a stretch, would be to put Brandon Parker at left guard until Incognito returns. Parker played on the left side of the ball in college, and although tackle and guard are not the same position, the Raiders staff has mentioned how Parker is flexible in the different positions he can play.
The Raiders have a few options here, but the safest one would be to put Good at left guard until Incognito returns, and keep the rest of the line the same until week three. These first two games are important for the division, so whatever the Raiders choose to do, they need to make sure they make the right decision.