Las Vegas Raiders: Strong 2021 tackle class puts Trent Brown on hot seat

The Las Vegas Raiders have to address the elephant in the room—or in this case their 380-pound Pro Bowl offensive tackle. Trent Brown‘s contract will carry a $14 million cap hit in 2021, and he’s only played 16 games with the team over the last two seasons.

Yes, when Brown plays, he’s one of the best tackles in the league, but that assessment takes a hit for a player available for 50 percent of games in two years. His battle with the coronavirus is a separate situation, though he came into the season with a calf issue that sidelined him through most of the first five weeks of the 2020 term.

The 27-year-old missed the season finale because of an ankle injury.

Subtly, general manager Mike Mayock expressed his frustration with Brown’s inconsistent availability, per Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Vincent Bonsignore:

"He’s under contract and when he’s healthy he’s dominant. And you’ve got to juxtapose that with his inability to play, week to week, over a two-year period. We’re excited about the player, but we’ve got to get a more consistent player. And obviously, we’re talking about everything right now. We think he’s the best right tackle in the league when healthy."

Currently, the Raiders are $23.5 million over the cap, which means they’ll have to dump multiple salaries via trade or release before the front office addresses roster needs during free agency.