The Las Vegas Raiders made rotation changes on both sides of the ball over the last few weeks as head coach Pete Carroll and his staff work to field the best group on game days.
As they assess the roster, the Raiders must eventually face the reality that they need to ease more of their younger players into key roles. Las Vegas may be a loss away from shifting its emphasis to developing inexperienced players who could be part of its long-term future.
The Raiders have a Week 8 bye, which will allow them to assess their first seven games and make significant personnel adjustments if necessary. Teams with playoff aspirations will likely inquire about veterans in trade talks.
Before we get to potential changes during the bye, let’s go over a few recent trends that could change in the next few weeks or shape the second half of the season.
Jack Bech Surpasses Dont’e Thornton Jr. on Depth Chart
NFL: Tennessee Titans at Las Vegas Raiders
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
During the offseason, Dont’e Thornton Jr. generated buzz as a deep threat. Despite his limited route tree, the Raiders opened the campaign with him in a prominent role.
Thornton played at least 59% of the offensive snaps in each of the first four games. Over the last two weeks, however, the rookie fourth-rounder took on a reduced role while Jack Bech saw more time on the field.
Last week, Bech made his first career start and played 75% of the offensive snaps. Thornton only logged two offensive snaps, lined up in the backfield, per Pro Football Focus.
As a second-rounder out of TCU, Bech is a possession receiver who can carve out an early role in the slot or out wide. After a quiet offseason, he’s caught five passes for 60 yards with a gradual ramp-up through the first six weeks.
Thornton has only hauled in five of his 16 targets for 94 yards. In fairness, Geno Smith is turning the ball over at a high rate and showing a lack of anticipation.
With trade rumors swirling around wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, the Raiders could look to get Thornton and Bech on the field together. They would complement Tre Tucker in a developmental phase for the receiver room.
Darien Porter Falling Out of Favor?
NFL: Las Vegas Raiders Minicamp
Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
During the spring, Darien Porter took first-team reps with the starting defense, but Kyu Blu Kelly made a strong impression on the coaching staff through training camp. Kelly won the starting job opposite Eric Stokes on the boundary. He started in all six games and played at least 98 percent of the snaps in five outings.
Though Kelly drew praise from Carroll, he’s struggled mightily in coverage, allowing a 122.8 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.
In Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts, Porter fared well starting in place of Stokes, who sat out with a knee sprain, but he didn’t play a defensive snap last week. The rookie third-rounder only contributed on special teams.
Porter may have more upside than Kelly, who’s been in the league for three years, but the coaching staff doesn’t think the Iowa State product is ready for a full-time starting job unless an injury thrusts him into a lead position.
Still, if the Raiders fall to 2-5 this weekend, they should get a longer look at Porter, who could be a long-term starter.
Tommy Eichenberg Cracks Linebacker Rotation
NFL: Las Vegas Raiders at Arizona Cardinals
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Tommy Eichenberg is a core special-teamer, and he’s only played defensive snaps in two of the team’s six games. He opened the season in a limited role and didn’t log any more snaps at linebacker until Week 6.
The Raiders released starting linebacker Germaine Pratt after their Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears. In Week 5, the coaching staff employed mostly two linebackers, Devin White and Elandon Roberts, while Jamal Adams split time between the box and the slot.
Eichenberg’s minimal role at linebacker in the previous game suggests the coaching staff may continue to work him into the rotation. Though he’s not a starting caliber defender, the second-year pro could provide depth in addition to his primary duties on special teams.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at@MoeMoton.
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Maurice Moton is our Sr. NFL columnist and co-host of Silver and Black Tonight on Southern California's The Mightier ... More about Moe Moton