Raiders’ training camp preview: What effect will new kickoff rules have?
The Review-Journal is taking a position-by-position look at the Raiders’ roster leading up to the team’s first day of training camp July 23 in Costa Mesa, California.
The series concludes with special teams, one of the club’s greatest strengths. The Raiders return their highly regarded trio of specialists, who rank among the best in the NFL.
Here is a look at the group:
In the mix
AJ Cole, Daniel Carlson, Jacob Bobenmoyer
2023 performance
Cole: He finished in the top five of almost every punting statistic last season. He earned his third Pro Bowl nod and his second first-team All Pro selection for his efforts.
Carlson: He made 26 of his 30 field-goal attempts last season, with two of his misses coming more than 50 yards away. Carlson also made all 32 of his extra points.
Bobenmoyer: The long snapper played in all 17 games last season, his first with the Raiders. He finished with three tackles.
Potential camp battles
Nothing to see here. The Raiders didn’t even go through the charade of bringing additional specialists to camp to “compete” with Cole or Carlson.
Breakout candidate
Keep an eye on Dylan Laube and Tre Tucker.
The NFL’s new kickoff rules have generated buzz around the league this offseason. They could also create opportunities for players who are dangerous with the ball in their hands.
Laube was a great all-purpose running back in college. The Raiders drafted him in the sixth round of April’s draft with the new kickoff rules in mind. Tucker is a speedster that can make plays in space. He and Laube are the Raiders’ two leading candidates to return kicks, though others could enter into the mix.
The NFL hopes its changes lead to 80 to 85 percent of kickoffs being returned next season, compared to 22 percent last year. That should give players like Laube and Tucker more chances to impact games when the Raiders offense isn’t on the field.
Area of concern
How long it will take to figure things out.
The Raiders hope to generate big plays in the return game this season, but so do other teams. Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon has his work cut out for him to limit long returns for opposing teams.
Will Carlson keep kicking off, which may lead to him making more tackles this season? Will the Raiders find a position player that can kick and also help their coverage unit? Will the team just boot the ball through the end zone and let opponents start at the 30-yard line?
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. That should lead to a lot of sleepless nights for McMahon.
What they’re saying
“I’ll be honest with you, (kickoff strategy will be changing) 100 percent of the season, because we’re going to steal ideas from other people. It’s brand new. It’s something nobody’s ever done. You’re going to steal from each other, you’re going to steal leverage from each other. I think it’ll go all the way through the Super Bowl on the last play.” — McMahon
Best-case scenario
The Raiders continue to have a leg up on special teams thanks to Carlson and Cole. McMahon also figures out a way to give the team an edge on kickoffs while everyone adjusts to the new rules.
Worst-case scenario
It’s hard to see Carlson or Cole falling apart, barring an injury. But the Raiders could be in trouble if they can’t figure out how to approach kickoffs this season.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
