Raiders Adjusting Their O-Line; Andrus Peat Seeking Saints’ Exit
Andrus Peat played for the Saints for nine seasons; the final four were governed by a deal he inked in 2020 as a free agent. Shortly after the draft, Peat signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Raiders and completed what turned out to be a four-year deal.
It’s thought that the Saints expressed interest in signing Peat again, but according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football, he would have preferred a new beginning somewhere. While New Orleans is holding a competition to determine who will start at guard opposite Cesar Ruiz, Peat is expected to compete for a starting position in Las Vegas.
In 2020, Peat was signed by the Saints to a five-year contract; however, the team voided the final year of the deal and reduced Peat’s salary in 2023. Despite missing 17 games from 2021 to 22 due to injury, 30-year-old Peat eventually replaced struggling first-round pick Trevor Penning at left tackle for the team in the previous season.
Despite visiting the Titans during the offseason, he did not receive much attention. Peat, a former Pro Bowl guard, was ranked 56th among tackles by Pro Football Focus last season; he will look to improve with the Raiders. However, it is by no means a given that Las Vegas will use the mid-offseason pickup as a primary player. After several quiet offseasons with this position group, the team took some action to strengthen its front.
Along with Peat, the Raiders also selected Cody Whitehair in free agency. They then selected blockers with their two Day 2 picks: Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round and DJ Glaze in the third. It’s interesting that Peat chose Las Vegas as his free agency destination because the Raiders might see him as a swingman. But whether New Orleans made an offer is unknown. It would be logical for the Saints to bring Peat back considering their current state at tackle and left guard. However, the sides broke apart. The O-line that the 10-year blocker is currently on is about to undergo major change.
Although Kolton Miller and center Andre James, who was signed again, will continue in their roles, the other three positions will be altered starting in 2023. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders are moving two-year left guard Dylan Parham to the right side, and Thayer Munford is the front-runner to take Jermaine Eluemunor’s place at right tackle. Eluemunor inked a $14MM, two-year contract with the Giants in March.
Parham, a third-round pick in 2022, played right guard for 110 snaps in his rookie season. But in his professional career, he has mostly played left side. During the Raiders’ 2023 training camp, Munford gave Eluemunor a push, but when the veteran was available, he continued to be the Silver and Black’s right tackle. In addition, he saw time at left tackle, replacing Miller, who was sidelined for four games. Last season, PFF thought well of Munford’s work, especially in the run game. Even still, for a former seventh-round pick, this will be a significant leap.
Peat has primarily played left tackle in the NFL; in his 80 career snaps as a professional, he has played just 78 snaps at right tackle (78 of which were as a rookie in 2015). The team’s RT battle will also feature Glaze, who may end up playing swing tackle for the Raiders, according to Bonsignore.
Powers-Johnson is anticipated to start for the Raiders at left guard, but Bonsignore notes that he was absent from most of the team’s OTA sessions. Playing center for Oregon last season, Powers-Johnson won the 2023 Rimington Award, which is given to the best center in Division I-FBS. He also replaced 2023 Broncos seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth as Bo Nix’s snapper. The Raiders are moving their second-round pick to guard after re-signing James to a $24MM, three-year contract. As a sophomore in 2022, Powers-Johnson played 350 snaps at right guard.
Las Vegas, which chose not to re-sign star center Greg Van Roten for 2023, now has early-round selections up front along with experience. With a combined 220 career starts between Peat (102) and Whitehair (118), it will be interesting to watch how the team employs its plethora of offseason additions. Whitehair’s status as a projected backup, at least for the time being, is also intriguing given that New Raiders offensive coordinator Luke Getsy coached Whitehair for two seasons in Chicago.
Leave a Reply