Las Vegas Raiders: Grading offensive free agent additions
Las Vegas Raiders: Grading offensive free agent additions
Richie Incognito – Offensive Guard, Las Vegas Raiders
Richie Incognito played in two games in 2020 for a grand total of 74 snaps before he suffered what turned out to be a season-ending injury. There was constant talk throughout the season that he could make his return but he never played another snap after Week 2. His injury was not as serious as once believed and by all accounts, he is ready and raring to go in 2021.
Incognito appears to be repaying the faith the Raiders had in him by signing him in 2019 after he was out of football for a year and agreed, after being cut on March 9th, to a one-year deal worth up to $2.62 million, including $1.1M guaranteed. This move saved the Raiders around $3 million which can be used to improve their defense, particularly the defensive line.
The question now for Incognito becomes if a soon-to-be 38-year-old guard can hold up for a full season or if the 2020 season was a sign of things to come. Second-year guard John Simpson is waiting in the wings if Incognito is unable to play but the veteran was excellent in limited snaps and there was a considerable drop-off when he was out.
If Incognito can be the same player he was in a small sample size in 2020 or the player he was over 12 games in 2019, this deal could be a bargain. Of course, if he is hurt again and misses time then at least his cap hit has been significantly reduced.