Pete Carroll Announces Decision on Jackson Powers-Johnson
Right guard is no longer the biggest question mark on the Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive line. With left tackle Kolton Miller on Injured Reserve, everybody will be watching that position closely.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still questions about right guard. Jackson Powers-Johnson played an excellent game in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, but the coaching staff has been apprehensive about him being the de facto starter.
For now, the Raiders are happy with him and are going to give him another start in Week 5, according to head coach Pete Carroll.
“He’s handled it very capably,” Carroll said of Powers-Johnson on Wednesday. “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.
“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.”
Chip Kelly Praises Powers-Johnson
Powers-Johnson was an elite player in college, which led to him being a second-round pick last year. The Raiders were very high on him last season, but it’s a new coaching staff and front office in place right now.
It’s odd that he seems to be the one player on the offensive line who has to keep proving himself. Regardless, the Raiders seem to be warming up to him more, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly praised the young guard.
“I love JPJ, but his head is really big right now. … He’s a tough kid. He plays his tail off. He’s a physical player,” Kelly told reporters on Thursday.
Will Powers-Johnson Hold Onto Starting Job?
It appears that Powers-Johnson will continue to have to prove himself to hold onto the starting right guard job. Alex Cappa hasn’t played well in his opportunities, but the Raiders aren’t 100% sold on Powers-Johnson yet.
All he can do is continue to play well. He’s shown big-time potential the last couple of seasons, but can be inconsistent. He’s definitely the most physical offensive lineman the Raiders have, but sometimes he can be a bit overly physical.
That said, it doesn’t make much sense to give reps to a veteran like Cappa when Powers-Johnson needs as much experience as he can get. If Cappa was obviously better, then the Raiders could justify playing him, but Powers-Johnson looks like the better player, and he’s younger.
Seahawks Predicted to be Top Buyer at NFL Trade Deadline
There’s still plenty of time in the 2025 regular season. But with Week 5 looming, the NFL trade deadline is actually quickly approaching, which means the teams most likely to be buyers is coming into focus.
On Thursday, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin named the Seattle Seahawks one of his five teams most likely to be buyers at the NFL trade deadline.
“With Sam Darnold thriving as the new gunslinger and Mike Macdonald still directing a physical defense, they might be the clear favorites to survive a crowded NFC West race,” wrote Benjamin.
The CBS Sports analyst didn’t mention any specific potential Seahawks trade targets. But presumably, Seattle will seek offensive upgrades.
Could Seahawks Shop for Offensive Players at NFL Trade Deadline?
Entering Week 5, the Seahawks are ranked second in points allowed and sixth in rushing yards yielded.
Seattle is just 18th in passing yards allowed, but the team should improve in that area once all of its defensive backs return. Defensive backs Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori have all missed at least one of the first four games this season.
Although Seattle’s pass defense is in the bottom half of the league, the unit has performed better in other categories. Most notably, the Seahawks are seventh in net yards allowed per attempt. That’s because they are sixth in the NFL with 12 sacks in four weeks.
With all that in mind, the offense probably has greater needs. The Seahawks are 13th in passing and 18th in rushing entering Week 5.
It’s never a bad idea for NFL teams to add another pass-catching weapon. Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the Seahawks with 26 catches and 402 receiving yards. But only one other player has more than 82 receiving yards for Seattle this season.
It’s often difficult to integrate an offensive lineman into an NFL lineup midseason. But the Seahawks could show interest in offensive line depth.
Seattle sits in the middle of the pack in sack percentage allowed after four games.
Seahawks Could Use CB Riq Woolen as Trade Chip?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday other NFL teams could be “monitoring” Riq Woolen on the NFL trade market.
Some pundits, such as The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell, found the report to have odd wording. It’s possible Rapoport’s report was actually from a source in the Seahawks organization who is trying to increase interest in the cornerback.
But shopping Woolen for a different piece could make sense for the Seahawks. As long as the team’s cornerbacks are healthy, Seattle doesn’t have a lot of use for the fourth-year cornerback.
Perhaps a team on the trade market is interested in the cornerback as a rental player. Woolen is on an expiring contract and will become a free agent next spring.
However, there could be complications for the Seahawks if they try to trade Woolen. More than likely, only contender will show interest in the cornerback because he’s a rental. Contenders typically want to give up draft picks, not players, in NFL trade deadline moves.
The Seahawks, though, probably don’t want a draft pick at the deadline because they are also a contender.
So, to find a perfect trade partner for Woolen, the Seahawks will have to seek a team who needs a cornerback and has a different player Seattle could use. That other team will also have to be willing to give up that player the Seahawks want.
