If you've checked Silver and Black Pride at all during this locked out offseason you probably know that I think the Oakland Raiders need to bring in at least one offensive lineman (preferably a right tackle). It also appears the majority of Raider Nation feels the same way. Offensive tackle and guard were first and second in a poll inquiring about the biggest needs in free agency.
Who knows if they will do this, or if they can do this, but it is safe to say whenever someone from the organization talks about the offensive line that I am trying to read the lines. Well, Hue Jackson was asked about the O-line in his recent Ask Coach Jackson weekly Q and A session. Jump over to see if Action Jackson revealed any of the offensive line's future....
Here is the exchange:
Question from John Oglesby: What are the realistic expectations for the Offensive Line this year?
Coach Jackson: I expect us to be better. I expect us to be fundamentally better. I expect us to be a roughhouse group that are excited to play, that welcome the challenge of the teams we have to play. Between our offensive line and defensive line, I think that’s where games are won. That’s something that we’ll preach each and every day. I think we hired two of the best teachers in football in Bob Wylie and Steve Wisniewski, who’s a former Raider great. We all share the same vision on how that position should play. It’s going to take a little time to mesh together. We need to find five men that are willing to go up there and grind. I think our offensive line needs to be grinding, but I think we’ll create that environment. We’ll take some guys to the woodshed and bring them back out and make them men and let’s go play.
I'm trying, but there isn't a lot of verbiage to be found between those lines. Hue Jackson is a master of this. He can answer a question that leaves you fired up, yet while saying very little.
His closing sentence, "We’ll take some guys to the woodshed and bring them back out and make them men and let’s go play," would lead me to believe they are just going to focus on molding the young guys, but there are a couple of lines that inspire hope that they will try to add to it.. Mainly this:
Between our offensive line and defensive line, I think that’s where games are won.
If Hue Jackson really believes this, than it is reasonable to expect that they will make shoring up the offensive line a priority.