The Raiders loaded up on guards this offseason.
They re-signed Denzelle Good and Jordan Devey, veterans with plenty of starting experience. They added Eric Kush later in unrestricted free agency. Then general manager Mike Mayock and coach Jon Gruden took Clemson guard John Simpson on Saturday with the No. 109 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
It was no surprise, then, that Mayock was asked in his post-draft conference call what all those moves meant for Gabe Jackson. It was a valid question, to be sure.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Jackson reportedly was available in trade, and has been for a while now. NFL Network reported the asking price was not high. Jackson is set to make $9.6 million in 2020 and each season through 2022, though none of his annual salaries are guaranteed at this time, and the Raiders will be right up against the salary cap after signing their newly minted draft class.
[RAIDERS TALK: Listen to the latest episode]
Everything mentioned above makes it possible the Raiders could want to move on from Jackson, who also has battled significant injuries the past two seasons.
Mayock insists that’s not the case, though, and none of the moves made this offseason should imply otherwise.
NFL
“He’s our starting right guard,” Mayock said. “We signed Kush and Devey, and those guys play all three internal positions. They’re inside guys. I think Gabe Jackson is our starting right guard. That’s exactly what it says.”
[RELATED: How Mayock, Gruden used Raiders' 2020 NFL Draft picks]
The Raiders love Jackson, who's a quality locker-room presence and a damn good guard when healthy. He and Trent Brown form a formidable right flank that’playerss tough to stop in the run game and to beat in pass protection when both players are going strong.
The Raiders' offensive line is better when Jackson is on it, and he’s an upgrade over the other options at right guard currently on the roster.