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HENDERSON, Nevada – The Las Vegas Raiders face the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener Monday night at Allegiant Stadium with an untested and unproven offensive line after Pro Bowl quadruple left guard Richie Incognito was ruled out on Saturday due to a right calf injury.
Incognito, 38, was injured during joint training with the Los Angeles Rams on August 19 and has not trained since. He will be replaced by John Simpson, a 2020 fourth-round pick who has played seven games and started two, with both starts coming to left guard.
“He’s a good young prospect,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said of Simpson. “We can’t wait to see our line. We know we have four new starters there compared to last year at this time, but we have players with really big strengths and it will be a great test for them. “
After an offseason that saw Las Vegas drop center Rodney Hudson, right guard Gabe Jackson and right tackle Trent Brown – and with Incognito’s injury – the Raiders’ starting offensive line will be: left tackle Kolton Miller (a first in 2018- round pick with 46 career starts), left guard Simpson (two starts), center Andre James (NFL first start at center), right guard Denzelle Good (16 starts at right guard) and right tackle Alex Leatherwood (first of the 2021 Raiders – round pick, who will make his NFL debut).
Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson said Simpson was “the strongest player on our team, in terms of testing, coming back” for training camp.
“He got a lot of experience and reps because of Richie’s injury,” Olson said. “So we feel comfortable there. And again we talked about the depth that we have in there and he has provided us with great depth and now he is providing us with a starter.”
Gruden, meanwhile, said Incognito, who was elected team captain at the end of training camp, was “improving” and believed he might be ready for the Week 2 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“But for now,” said Gruden, “we’ll let him get better and hope for the best.”
Incognito suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in week two last season. He’s played at least 12 snaps in just 13 of 32 games since signing with the Raiders.
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