To say it’s been a rough offseason and preseason for Las Vegas Raiders second-year lineman Alex Leatherwood is an understatement. Things were off to a positive start with his social media posts showing he was working out and doing his best to get ready. Regrettably, that hasn’t translated onto the actual football field.
Piling on Leatherwood has quickly become a popular thing on social media, especially Twitter. However, this is nothing new for fans.
When a former player and Raiders legend does it, well, that carries significantly more weight. We’re referring to four-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Matt Millen.
“Leatherwood… not good,” says Matt Millen during the Raiders game
#Raiders announcer and former #Lions GM gives a brutally honest assessment of Alex Leatherwood. https://t.co/rUzy74Nhni
The Raiders broadcast had several guests drop in throughout the game, including former Pro Bowl tackle Donald Penn. The highlight of the night, however, was Millen’s pause when talking about Leatherwood in a certain play where he was outclassed, followed by a “not good.” It wasn’t the most derogatory thing anyone’s heard, but it was the tone, the delivery of it all. Just cold, Millen just wasn’t impressed, simply put.
Fans just aren’t impressed but neither is the team’s brass, right?
Many folks are pointing out that the team’s willingness to send Leatherwood out there to play tackle against the New England Patriots’ second and third teamers is concerning. There’s been no official word from the Raiders’ brass concerning Leatherwood’s future. No surprise there. Others who are defending Leatherwood point out that he could still have a future at guard.
During the broadcast, Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report made the good point that this is a new regime and that Leatherwood’s spot was never safe if he played poorly. By now, burying Leatherwood is like beating a dead horse. He did not play well during this preseason, and if you have people publicly and openly criticizing you, it doesn’t bode well. Be that as it may, the decision will be up to Josh McDaniels.
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