Question marks hover over Raiders after OTAs and minicamp

When we next see the Raiders, their fourth training camp in Las Vegas will have begun. Jimmy Garoppolo and first-round pick Tyree Wilson will have been cleared to practice, and running back Josh Jacobs will be back in the fold.

Or, maybe not.

The uncertainty involving key components of the Raiders 2023 foundation — be it overplayed or understated — is why the conclusion of the Raiders’ offseason program, which included a mandatory three-day minicamp, finished with a lingering sense of ambiguity.

In the case of Garoppolo and Wilson, both of whom were sidelined during OTAs while recovering from foot injuries, there is optimism among the Raiders that they will be cleared to take the field at the start of training camp. But until each gets the necessary green light, a level of concern is warranted.

Jacobs’ situation is even less settled as he and the Raiders try to find middle ground on a new contract. The NFL’s leading rusher last season currently operates under the franchise tag distinction, albeit reluctantly as he has yet to actually sign the tender.

By rule, that left him unavailable for OTAs and minicamp. The two sides will continue to work toward a long-term deal. But if they are unable to do so by July 17th, Jacobs will have to play on the terms of the tag, which is valued at $10.09 million.

His only option is to sit out, which seems unlikely given the guaranteed money he would be sacrificing. Either way, it makes the next four weeks wildly pivotal relative to the Raiders and Jacobs finding common ground. And providing clarity to a pressing issue.

All that said, here are the key takeaways from the Raiders’ off-season program.

Imagination needed

As stated above, Garoppolo and Jacobs were not on the field throughout the offseason, although Garoppolo was involved in all other day-to-day activities. And they weren’t the only offensive players who were absent, at least during a bulk of the media’s access to practice.

Michael Mayer, the Raiders’ rookie tight end from Notre Dame, and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, a free agent addition from New England, also missed on-field time.

To say each of those players represents a significant part of the operation is an understatement, especially in the case of Garoppolo, Jacobs and Meyers. It left the observation of the Raiders’ offense decidedly incomplete as backup quarterback Brian Hoyer took the bulk of the first-team snaps with Purdue rookie Aidan O’Connell and second-year prospect Chase Garbers taking the remaining reps.

Needless to say, getting a discernible handle on the Raiders’ offense was nearly impossible. And that was a disappointment.

Offensive firepower

While one can only project what the inclusions of Garoppolo, Jacobs, Meyers and Mayer will mean to the offensive operation, it is clear they will be joining a deep group of playmakers.

Davante Adams is a given as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and Hunter Renfrow looked healthy and on track after laboring through an injury-riddled 2022 season. Jacobs, Meyers and Mayer, who is expected to get significant playing time alongside veteran tight ends Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard, will only enhance the options available to Garoppolo and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.

The key difference is the infusion of speed and explosiveness with the additions of veteran wide receivers Phillip Dorsett and DeAndre Carter and the drafting of Cincinnati wide receiver Tre Tucker. All three had notable moments during OTAs and minicamp, and while they will play subsidiary roles to the key starters, each has a chance to make situational impacts.

If so, that will be a big change to an offense with a glaring lack of speed last year.

Optimism on defense

The Raiders added 22 players defensively, including projected starters or key role players in free agent and draft additions Robert Spillane (LB), Marcus Epps (S), Duke Shelley (CB), David Long (CB), Brandon Facyson (CB), Jakorian Bennett (CB), Jaquan Johnson (S), Chris Smith (S), Wilson (DE), Byron Young (DE), Amari Burney (LB) and defensive linemen Adam Butler and John Jenkins.

The additions have created a noticeable level of depth and competition, especially along the defensive line and in the secondary, a pair of position groups that are visibly deeper compared to last season.

The revamped secondary, which includes holdovers in cornerbacks Nate Hobbs, Amik Robertson, Tyler Hall and Sam Webb, and safeties Tre’von Moehrig, Roderic Teamer and Isaiah Pola-Mao, needs to take a big step forward. But the early signs are positive, particularly in how Bennett, a rookie from Maryland, and Epps, Hobbs, Hall, Shelley, Moehrig and Pola-Mao all looked.

Linebacker a question mark

The Raiders have been more work than progress at linebacker for years, and for now, gleaning anything significant from that group is on pause until the pads come on.

On the positive side, holdovers Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson both revamped their bodies during the offseason and the Raiders are talking optimistically about both players. It will help that they, like all the other returning players, are now in the second straight season of Patrick Graham’s defense. Spillane, a free agent pickup from Pittsburgh, certainly looks the part of a modern-day NFL middle linebacker, and he is being counted on to be a problem solver and leader for the defense.

All three can be counted on as solid run defenders, but at least two need to show they can be capable in pass coverage as well. Deablo, a former safety, has the required skill set and he flashed in that department during OTAs. The question is, will that transfer to the regular season?

O’Connell has potential

With Derek Carr now in New Orleans, it was a little bit weird seeing another quarterback wearing his No. 4 jersey. That would be O’Connell, whom the Raiders drafted in the fourth round out of Purdue.

O’Connell has a ways to go just to show he can leapfrog over Hoyer to be the primary backup to Garoppolo, let alone a starting NFL quarterback. But the former Boilermaker standout had enough attention-grabbing moments during OTAs to show he has some tools that can translate from college to the NFL.

There is an ease to O’Connell’s game that jumps out, specifically in how he goes through his progressions and delivers accurate throws. O’Connell isn’t going to wow anyone with his athletic ability, but it looks like he thinned out a bit from his days at Purdue and that should help the mobility. To dismiss him as simply a statue would be inaccurate, too. He showed in college, and during OTAs, a sense for the pass rush and smooth enough footwork to sidestep danger without losing his vision downfield.

Again, he has a long way to go. But he has an intriguing skill set.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.