Raiders aren’t winning games or developing rookies in Carroll’s 1st season
The Raiders, with right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson on injured reserve, had a chance to get a look at rookie guard Caleb Rogers against the Cowboys on Monday.
In fact, they talked all week about that opportunity.
It never happened.
Rogers, a third-round pick out of Texas Tech, didn’t even dress for the Raiders’ 33-16 loss at Allegiant Stadium.
The team instead moved Jordan Meredith from center to right guard to replace Powers-Johnson. Will Putnam, who went undrafted out of Clemson in 2024, took Meredith’s spot.
The Raiders also promoted Atonio Mafi from the practice squad to the active roster for Monday’s game.
On the surface, making Rogers inactive felt like a missed opportunity.
The Raiders (2-8) aren’t making the playoffs. So they could use the rest of the season to give young players like Rogers playing time and then gauge their development.
Instead, the team appears stuck between a rock and a hard place. Coach Pete Carroll wants to maximize every game and try to build a winning culture. But the Raiders also have a big picture to think about.
Carroll, 74, remains focused on the present for now.
“We’re trying our best to win the games,” Carroll said.
The problem is the Raiders aren’t winning games or developing players.
Monday was their fifth loss by more than 10 points. They’ve now dropped four in a row for the second time this season.
Despite all that losing, Rogers and fellow rookie third-round pick Charles Grant can’t get on the field. Rookie wide receiver Jack Bech received one target in Monday’s loss, while fellow rookie wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr. got none. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 overall pick in April’s draft, got six carries.
It’s not that Carroll is holding them back on purpose. He just doesn’t want to hand players opportunities until he feels they’re ready. Until then, he will roll with the players he thinks can help the Raiders win each week.
“We would love to see Caleb play,” Carroll said. “We would love to see Charles play. But it hasn’t happened that way. They’ve got to show in practice and show us that they’re ready.”
Carroll is trying to find the right formula to get the Raiders out of their current rut. He’s not trying to neglect the team’s younger players. But they also have to show him they can step up if called upon.
“We’re not ignoring it at all. We’re paying attention to it,” Carroll said. “But that’s just part of the rigors of the season, in a particularly difficult season. The questions were warranted, and I have no problem with that. But I don’t have answers for all of them.”
O’Connell time?
The Raiders waived safety Chris Smith II and released offense tackle Leroy Watson IV from their practice squad Tuesday.
The moves give them an open roster spot they could potentially hand to quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who was been on injured reserve all season with a fractured right wrist.
O’Connell’s 21-day practice window closes this week. That means the Raiders need to promote him to the 53-man roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.
Carroll said O’Connell, who started 17 games for the team the previous two seasons, has practiced against the No. 1 defense the last two weeks and “done all right with it, too.”
The Raiders will make a decision in the next day or so.
“We’ve got to go talk about it, figure that one out, because the time is coming,” Carroll said.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal. com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X
