The Las Vegas Raiders brought in head coach Pete Carroll this offseason to completely change the culture of the franchise. Carroll brought his years of experience and winning pedigree to Las Vegas, but also an unrelenting desire to have the players and coaches on the team constantly compete.
This is a great thing for a team, especially one coming off a four-win campaign and having no playoff appearances since 2021. However, the culture shock was real in Raider Nation as it seems like there is very little set in stone and a lot of the roster is in flux just a month before the season.
In years past, there were large contracts handed out in free agency that indicated who would be in the starting lineup and who was a depth piece. This has not been the case in 2025, as everyone, outside of a small handful of players, is competing for their starting role.
Raiders should start Jordan Meredith and Jackson Powers-Johnson
Shockingly, this included Jackson Powers-Johnson, an All-Rookie interior offensive lineman who was seemingly a shoo-in for the starting center spot this season. The team added veteran guard Alex Cappa this offseason on a two-year, $11 million deal, which threw things for a loop.
Earlier in the offseason, it seemed like Powers-Johnson was the center, and either Jordan Meredith or Dylan Parham would be supplanted at guard. However, now, Parham seems locked in at left guard, and Powers-Johnson, Meredith and Cappa are fighting for the remaining two spots.
At the team's mock scrimmage on Saturday, Meredith started at center and Powers-Johnson at right guard, but Cappa quickly replaced Powers-Johnson on the second drive. These three players have been rotating frequently, and it may not be the best thing for the Raiders.
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Cappa was certainly a great player in his day, and he was a pivotal piece of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl win, so general manager John Spytek may have a soft spot for him. However, he rapidly declined with the Cincinnati Bengals last season, earning a Pro Football Focus grade of 50.5.
This ranked 111th out of 136 guards. By contrast, Meredith ranked 10th and Powers-Johnson was 56th. PFF grades never tell the whole story, but they give a good indication as to what level or echelon a player operates in, and these two young players are head and shoulders above Cappa.
Carroll and the offense should be starting Powers-Johnson at center and Meredith at right guard. But even if they flip those two positions, the five best players should be starting on the offensive line, and right now, that does not include Cappa. Hopefully, this battle sorts itself out in the preseason or the team remedies this before Week 1.