The Oakland Raiders brought in a massive offensive tackle for a massive amount of money in 2019, but will Trent Brown actually be worth all that cash?
This offseason the Oakland Raiders made offensive tackle Trent Brown the richest offensive lineman in the league. Now the question is, is he worth this much money?
The Raiders had their fair share of struggles with the offensive line in 2018, in fact quarterback Derek Carr was sacked 51 times in 2018, third worst among all quarterbacks in the NFL. So surely the need to bulk up the line was critical.
Enter Brown, the massive 6-8 380-pound former blindside protection of Tom Brady. In fact in 2018 Brown not only won a Super Bowl with Brady and the New England Patriots, he only allowed 3.5 sacks all season. In 10 games in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers, Brown only allowed one sack.
So the numbers prove he is an elite lineman.
Now one issue a lot of fans and media pundits alike had with the signing, was that he wasn’t signed by the Raiders to play left tackle, the position in which he excelled last year. Brown will actually be playing right tackle, with the left tackle position being filled by Kolton Miller, the Raiders 2018 first round pick.
To fully grasp why Brown will be playing the right side opposed to the left is simple, the left side of the defense possesses plenty of pass rush in 2019. One example of this is All-Pro linebacker Von Miller of the Denver Broncos who the Raiders face twice a year.
After facing Brown previously in numerous meetings, Miller had high praise for the tackle even stating “There’s not another tackle who’s that tall, that big and can move the way he moves.”
With this being the last season for the Raiders in Oakland, it’s great that Jon Gruden and company picked up someone to lead the offensive line for not only the present but into the future. Being only 26 years old, Brown can anchor the line for quite some time, as well as providing a blanket for Carr as Miller develops further on the left.
With Carr and the Raiders adding more ammunition in the form of an entirely new receiving corps, led by Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams, as well as a new running back in rookie Josh Jacobs, the ceiling is high for the Raider offense. Now with Brown leading the way for Carr to sit back in the pocket, it’s time the Raiders shoot for new heights on the shoulders of their new elite tackle.