3 new faces at Raiders training camp you might have forgotten

With Raiders training camp thoroughly underway, it's tempting to just focus on the exciting new faces. Bringing in Chrisitan Wilkins, Brock Bowers, and Gardner Minshew (this last one is kind of a joke, but only kind of), were the three biggest non-podcast related moments of the Raiders' offseason, and fans have been eager to see how they fit into Antonio Pierce's team so far. But there were plenty of smaller signings, some of which will probably end up mattering quite a bit down the road. So these are three new faces at training camp that you may have forgotten about. No offense to these guys, of course. There are just so many NFL players!

3 new faces at Raiders training camp you might have forgotten

1. Cody Whitehair

The Whitehair signing flew under the radar at the time it happened, but it's not hard to imagine a world where it ends up being one of the better moves of the Raiders' offseason. Whitehair was a staple in Chicago for almost a decade – in eight seasons with the Bears, he started 118 of the 124 games he appeared in. He didn't miss a game until the 5th season of his career, and despite some injury issues over the last two seasons in Chicago, was a reliable interior guard who could play at multiple positions. Right now it looks like he's the odd man out at guard with Jackson Powers-Johnson and
Dylan Parham, but if either struggle or get hurt, Whitehair's someone who can step in immediately and not miss a beat. His experience with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy doesn't hurt, either.

2. Harrison Bryant

There was a moment, early on in the offseason, when this felt like a savvy move for the Raiders. And maybe it still is! But Bryant's been the discussion of some bizarre trade rumors already, which is what happens when you draft the best tight end on the board a month later. Bryant and Brock Bowers really only play the same position in name only, though, and the Raiders' coaches are plenty capable of figuring out how the two of them – plus second-year TE Michal Mayer – will all fit on the field together. Bryant's not much of a threat in the passing game: he's never finished a season with more than 240 receiving yards and three touchdowns, but he's a decent depth option who could help in other facets.

3. Andrus Peat

Andrus Peat is actually on the Raiders. I'm not lying. After nine seasons playing on the left side of the Saints' line, Peat quietly signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Las Vegas this offseason. His final few seasons in New Orleans were rough: he was one of the lowest-rated offensive lineman (by Pro Football Focus) over the last 2-3 seasons, and is coming off arguably the worst season of his career in 2023. Still, he's a three time Pro Bowler, and there are much worse backup offensive lineman on NFL rosters elsewhere. If the injuries to Jackson Powers-Johnson and Andre Miller linger into the start of the regular season, Raiders fans could be watching a lot more of Peat than they ever thought possible.