ALAMEDA – The Raiders like quality and continuity along the offensive line. Big contracts secured four top talents, locking Donald Penn, Kelechi Osemele, Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson up until at least 2019 .
Those four horsemen ride from left to right, with one new guy joining the group. Veteran Marshall Newhouse signed a two-year contract this offseason to play right tackle.
The 28-year old has played everywhere but center. He has started at left tackle and on the right. He has played both guard spots, as a starter and reserve.
He was brought in to focus on one spot, but Donald Penn's contract holdout spoiled that plan. Newhouse spent training camp in Penn's stead, before switching sides.
A prolonged camp battle with Vadal Alexander was compressed into a few practices and the regular season opener, but the frontrunner Newhouse emerged victorious.
It wasn't a hard decision. He has been excellent thus far, recently in a 45-20 victory over the New York Jets. Over the course of two games and 62 pass blocking snaps, Newhouse hasn't allowed a single quarterback pressure this season, per analystic site Pro Football Focus.
The Raiders haven't run his way much, mostly going away from gaps he can control, but he has been solid when given the chance.
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"I think he's done a solid job with that," head coach Jack Del Rio said in his Monday press conference. "Little bit unusual that he's a swing guy, was signed to come in and compete at the right tackle position and then with the holdout, he played left tackle most of the offseason. The way it worked, he and Vadal [Alexander] competed for the right tackle spot last week and we ended up going with Marshall and he's been very solid. Both of those guys are prepared to help us. Marshall solidified that job, played well yesterday. Glad to see it."
NOTES:
NOT SWEATING SETBACKS: The Raiders were penalized nine penalized times for 79 yards on Sunday, mostly on 15-yard infractions in the first half. Del Rio didn't have a need to correct those mistakes. Most of them he either disagreed with or said they came down to judgment calls. The Raiders haven't had many clear-cut, procedural violations.
"The judgment calls, you're going to have to leave it at that. When you see something that's clearly an infraction, we can coach it, teach it and it gets better. The other things like that, you just have to live with them and move on."
SMITH MIGHT BE BACK: Veteran cornerback Sean Smith missed Sunday's game with a neck injury, but Del Rio didn't anticipate it being a long-term injury. He is also hopeful Jamize Olawale and Keith McGill will make season debuts in Week 3 against Washington.
