Raiders roster: Predicting the 2021 starting lineup entering camp
Raiders roster: Predicting the 2021 starting lineup entering camp
Special Teams
- Daniel Carlson, Trent Sieg, AJ Cole, DJ Turner, Jalen Richard
It’s great to have consistency at special teams, and the Raiders look to have all three of the key positions figured out for a long time. This is an organization that had the same punter and long snapper for more than a decade each, and the same kicker for nearly 20 years.
Once you have those positions figured out, you rarely want to change things up, and the Raiders are in a great position for years to come.
AJ Cole has been a great addition to the Raiders roster since signing as an UDFA out of NC State, and Daniel Carlson has been money since joining in October 2018 after being cut by the Minnesota Vikings. Carlson in particular has been excellent for the Raiders, with 7-9 made field goals from 50+ yards and an 87.2% conversion rate on all his field goal attempts.
The Raiders signed him to a one-year deal worth $3.3 million and he could earn a nice long-term extension with another great season.
Last year, the Raiders roster had Hunter Renfrow as the primary punt returner, and though he was excellent, he also took some big hits including one that knocked him out of the game against the Chargers. Renfrow is far too valuable a player to let return punts regularly, and we predict the Raiders will delegate the duties to rookie DJ Turner, who was an excellent return man at Pitt.
Jalen Richard, if he beats out Theo Riddick and makes the final roster, will retain his role as the primary kickoff returner after posting a 24.0 average in a small sample size. He has yet to score a return touchdown but did have two big returns against the New Orleans Saints and LA Chargers to set up scoring drives for the offense.