Raiders absorb drastic turnover on special teams

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Some personnel turnover is expected each year on special teams.

What the Raiders have absorbed entering Sunday’s season opener at Tennessee is extraordinary.

From a snap count standpoint, the team could be without its 10 busiest special teamers from 2016. At the minimum, nine of the 10 will be unavailable. Linebacker Daren Bates and safety Brynden Trawick led the Raiders in special-teams snaps last season with 397 and 320. Both signed with the Titans in March.

The Raiders largely are relying on special-teams youth this season.

Bates, Trawick and Co. will look to cause growing pains.

“Those are some good guys we lost,” said wide receiver Johnny Holton, who is expected to work at gunner in punt coverage across from wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. “I was happy to have them on the team last year; they taught us a lot. It’ll be a challenge for us to go up against them the same as if we’re to go up against anybody. We’re looking forward to it.”

Fullback Jamize Olawale (319 snaps), safety Keith McGill II (281) and linebacker Cory James (228) are the only core special teamers from last season who remain on the 53-man roster. Olawale (quad) and McGill (foot) are listed as out on the team’s injury report. James (knee) is questionable.

Wide receiver Andre Holmes (310) and running back Taiwan Jones (241), who both mentored Holton to play gunner in 2016 as a rookie, signed with the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Safety Nate Allen (270) is with the Miami Dolphins. Outside linebacker Shilique Calhoun (192) is on Raiders’ the practice squad.

On Sunday, the team placed kicker Sebastian Janikowski (164) on injured reserve with a back injury. His replacement, Giorgio Tavecchio, is making his NFL debut. He hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since college at California when facing Texas in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28, 2011, in San Diego.

Notable

— At age 37, the Raiders’ Todd Downing is the youngest offensive coordinator in the AFC. He will call plays Sunday for the first time in his NFL coaching career against a legend. Titans defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, turned 80 on Saturday.

More Raiders: Follow all of our Raiders coverage online at reviewjournal.com/Raiders and @NFLinVegas on Twitter.

Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.