Raiders HC Pete Carroll Doubles Down on Crucial Decision

The Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line has been a topic of discussion for some time now, as they had been rumored to be interested in potentially drafting an offensive lineman in the first round of the past two drafts. The rumors were legitimate, as the Raiders' offensive line woes were legitimate.

Las Vegas would eventually add two of the most talented skill position players to enter the league in at least the past decade when they drafted tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, respectively.

Carroll Refuses to Budge

Still, Las Vegas' need for help along the offensive line has been no secret. The unit's struggles worsened quickly this saeason when offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was hurt in Week 2, leading to subpar performances from the unit in Week 2 and Week 3.

With Powers-Johnson back in the fold, a common idea is for the Raiders to switch him back to center and move Jordan Merideth from center to guard. This would allow Powers-Johnson to play the same position he ended last season at.

Last season, Las Vegas performed better with Powers-Johnson at center. Still, Carroll has no desire to switch Powers-Johnson back to center. Prior to the Raiders' practice on Wednesday, Carroll explained why he will not move either offensive lineman from their current positions.

"He's handled it very capably. He's done a nice job of controlling the message inside and communications and all of that. He's been very consistent. He had a play or two in the game, like guys have, when he got knocked around a little bit. But all in all, he's done a very, very creditable job. Let me say this too, I was really happy with JPJ's [Jackson Powers-Johnson] game, and he's going to start this week, and we're looking forward to seeing him contribute again," Carroll said.

"He had a good, significant role now that we can see it all happen. So, you can kind of count on that, but I think both those guys, the more that they can be together, the better off they'll be, and it just helps for the continuity and the confidence and the speed of response, and as they're making their changes and their reads inside. But I think Jordan's [Meredith] done a nice job for us."