Raiders News and Rumors: OL, Derek Carr, Agholor, and more

Raiders News and Rumors: OL, Derek Carr, Agholor, and more

Trent Brown’s Status Up in the Air?

Oftentimes, within Raiders’ discussion circles, we hear that Trent Brown is one of the best tackles in the league when healthy, which isn’t up for much dispute.

However, Brown has suited up for 16 games and missed 16 contests during his tenure with the team. He’s battled a nagging calf injury, COVID-19, and had a scary experience with his pregame IV that’s certainly not his fault. He also missed Week 17 of this past season because of an ankle ailment.

Aside from COVID-19 and the pregame IV issue, Brown’s lower leg has caused him problems over the last two terms. As a 6’8″, 380-pounder, he’s carrying a lot of weight and putting immense pressure on his body with short-area bursts and sudden moves, so we should expect some wear and tear.

Early this offseason, Brown posted videos of himself while training, which caught the attention of the team, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur:

The Raiders can look at this in two ways. Brown could return to the team in great condition after missing 11 games in 2020, or they could use the footage to sell him to other teams in a potential trade.

Brown will head into the 2021 campaign with a $14 million cap hit, which ranks 12th among all tackles (left and right), per Spotrac. That’s a good price if the Raiders truly believe he’s one of the best in the league while on the field.

However, Gruden and Mayock must decide if they can count on him to play most of the games in the next season. If he continues to suit up for 50 percent of the contests, the return on investment doesn’t look so good.

Brown’s documented workouts likely help his cause unless a team offers an early-round draft pick for him. Keep in mind, the 2021 draft class features a strong group of tackles, one could fall to the Raiders at No. 17.