Raiders OL Coach Cregg Talks OL Free Agency Additions Peat, Whitehair

The Las Vegas Raiders improved immensely on their offensive line this offseason, perhaps more so than any other position group.

Not only are the Raiders returning staples like Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham and Andre James and adding rookies Jackson Powers-Johnson, but the unit also brought in two very valuable veterans in Andrus Peat and Cody Whitehair.

The Raiders acquired Peat in free agency after the veteran spent his first nine NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

Raiders offensive line coach James Cregg was already quite familiar with the new Raiders offensive lineman.

"It's funny with Andrus, I've known him since a high school kid and had a relationship with
him, him and his family recruiting him," Cregg said on Wednesday. "So, I sort of knew him all along and then they mentioned the fact of bringing him in here to add some depth, and you talk about a quality man to come in here and do it. Obviously, with Kolton dealing with his injury, and I don't know -- you guys can ask the trainers when he's going to be back and all that kind of stuff, but he's out there working and doing his deal - but to have him out there is an asset. He's understanding the system. Like I said with the technique part earlier, he's really catching on now. I think he can play out a tackle. I think he can play at space. I think he can play at guard. He's quite an asset for us right now. I'm really, really happy to have him."

Cregg discussed what adding pieces like Peat and Whitehair means for his unit's depth.

"We've got the youth and the veteran guys in there. It's a really, really good mix," Cregg said. "Andre James and Cody Whitehair, Andrus Peat, all the veterans, Kolton Miller, come on. All those guys have played a lot of football, and they know it, they understand it. What's cool about those guys is there's zero ego to them or any of that, they're helping the younger guys. They're helping Jackson [Powers-Johnson], they're helping DJ [Glaze] and all those guys. I see Kolton out there always working with DJ, always working with the younger tackles, and that's that goes to the first question we had earlier, how's the room. They're unbelievable. They do a great job. They help each other out, especially the veteran guys help the younger guys out. This is a pretty cool fit."

Cregg enters his first season as the Raiders' offensive line coach. He served as the team's assistant offensive line coach for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.