When Jon Gruden accepted the job as Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2018, he knew there were some areas of the roster that needed to be addressed.
First, the tackle position.
The Silver and Black didn't have a healthy tackle on the roster at the time, so drafting left tackle Kolton Miller in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft was a high priority, but it's what Gruden and General Manager Mike Mayock did during 2019 free agency that reestablished the Raiders' offensive line as one of the most dominant in the league.
The Raiders wanted the premier tackle on the market and that player was Trent Brown. The former New England Patriot signed a four-year deal with the Silver and Black, and since putting pen to paper No. 77 has been as advertised; however, his season according to Coach Gruden has come to an end.
Brown hasn't suited up since Week 13, as he's been dealing with a chest injury, so the team has decided to place him on the Injured/Reserve list.
"Brown is going to be on injured reserve," Coach Gruden told the media Wednesday. "He won't play again this year. His shoulder, his pec I should say, is just not getting any better. It's disappointing. Congratulations to him for making the Pro Bowl. Obviously, what he did put on tape was very impressive."
Brown played and started in 11 games this year and is a major reason the Raiders have allowed a mere 24 sacks this season –and six of those sacks have come over the last two weeks with No. 77 absent from the lineup.
Derek Carr has said on numerous occasions that the 6'8", 380-pound tackle was his favorite free agent signing this year for obvious reasons, and he'll certainly miss him over the final two games.
"He definitely makes a difference on the football games, that's for sure," Carr said. "Him and Rodney [Hudson] getting the Pro Bowl, rightfully so, those guys are two of the best at their position. And Trent, that guy is just a monster when it comes to pass game, run game. I mean you literally see him throw grown men 8-10 yards off the ball, like it's crazy what he's able to do against some really talented people. So, when you lose a guy like that obviously it's next man up, it hurts. But with the year that he had, him going to the Pro Bowl, rightfully deserved."
Earlier in the year when Brown missed time, David Sharpe stepped up to take his place, but Sharpe has been dealing with an injury of his own as of late, so Brandon Parker will continue to gain experience over the remaining weeks. Parker played in 15 games last season, starting in 12 after Donald Penn suffered an injury. The former third-round pick has the experience and size to be a factor, it's just about putting all the pieces together.
This Sunday, the Raiders will face one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram; Brown would be extremely useful this week, but it's next man up.
