Which key Raiders will take the field on Saturday?

The Raiders take the field for their third preseason game on Saturday in Miami against the Dolphins. Over the years, NFL teams traditionally use this week to play starters, sometimes into the second half, as the last dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season.

The question is, will Raiders coach Josh McDaniels use the occasion to get key players like Derek Carr, Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow on the field for the first time this preseason, or will he continue to use preseason games to figure out certain positional groups — think offensive line — and to give some players legitimate opportunities to win roster spots.

Which players take the field against the Dolphins is among a handful of focus points on Saturday.

Here are some suggestions of what to keep an eye on:

Who will play?

McDaniels was coy this week about revealing who will take the field against the Dolphins. While getting players like Carr, Adams and Renfrow playing time is important, that may take a backseat to the need for the Raiders to come to hard conclusions about key roster battles. “We’re just kind of in a competition mode still,” McDaniels said.

In other words, expect some similarities from the first two preseason games. “Use them to help us with some things we’re trying to figure out,” McDaniels said of his approach.

Nowhere is that more prevalent than the offensive line, where Alex Leatherwood, Brandon Parker, Thayer Munford and Jermaine Eluemunor are locked in a battle at right tackle and swing tackle.

Injuries to Parker and Munford might mean both sit out Saturday, which could open the door for Leatherwood to stake his claim as the right tackle. That’s especially true with Eluemunor, who was sharing first-team reps with Leatherwood at practice this week, likely getting the nod at left tackle in place of starter Kolton Miller.

The Raiders have made it clear that Leatherwood, a first-round pick last year, is in an open competition for a starting job. That is reflected in how reps are distributed in practice, with Leatherwood rarely getting the starting nod to start off practice and coming in behind Munford against the Vikings.

Assuming he draws a starting assignment on Saturday, he has a chance to solidify his starting chances.

The Abdullah situation

The Raiders have alternated their running backs over the first two games, with Ameer Abdullah assuming a big role against the Jaguars in the Hall of Fame game and then taking that momentum back to the practice field, where he has been a key part of a number of different situational groups as both a runner and pass catcher.

Last week, Abdullah did not play against the Vikings, with Kenyan Drake seeing action. A conclusion could be drawn that Abdullah is pushing for a role as a change-of-pace back, putting him in direct competition with Drake for that job.

Does that mean Abdullah gets another nod on Saturday to continue the competition or has he already solidified a role?

“We’ve always had a handful of backs that maybe some of them were a little bit more geared toward situational football, the passing game in some regards more than the running game, third down more than early downs,” McDaniels said.

That includes Abdullah. “It’s a lot of fun to coach him,” McDaniels said. “He’s got a great attitude and approach. I think he’s excited about some different things we’re trying.”

Masterson makes his case

The Raiders’ release of veteran linebacker Kenny Young is a sign that undrafted free agent rookies Darien Butler and Luke Masterson are pushing hard for roster spots. Both should get ample time against the Dolphins.

Masterson, in particular, has impressed with his size, strength and intelligence.

“I think what he’s really embraced more than anything else has been — I call it the commander in front of the defense — leading those guys,” linebacker coach Antonio Pierce said.

In fact, the Raiders have even entrusted Masterson with the defensive play-calling from time to time.

“Which is not an easy thing to do right off the bat,” McDaniels said. “He’s handling a lot of communication. He’s in the middle of every run play as you’ve seen. Tough, active, works extremely hard in the weight room, works extremely hard to make sure his body is ready to go. He’s got a maturity about himself at this point in his career that I really, really like.”

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