Here we go, Raider Nation, our final mailbag of the preseason.
We have one, last game before we shift our attention to the Los Angeles Rams, and while we probably won't see much of the starters Thursday night in Seattle, there are storylines aplenty to keep an eye on.
Let's get to your questions...
From Brett Hooper: Are you going to bring in another QB...?
EP: Well, Brett, I think it's a little bit early to start projecting who will or will not be on the roster September 1 – we still have one preseason game left after all – but when Coach Gruden was asked about the status of the team's backup quarterbacks, he certainly gave an honest assessment.
"I mean, I don't know who is going to be released at every other position on the team. I don't know if we're going to make some trades," Gruden said earlier this week. "We're in this business to try and improve every position. We're going to try to be wreck less and aggressive trying to improve this team. We'll see. I don't know who is available yet and I do know what we have to do now and that's what we're going to focus on."
Both Cook and Manuel have had up and down preseasons; I'll be keeping a close eye on both of them to see if someone can secure that job with a nice night in Seattle.
From Vincent Macias: Our secondary is much improved since the last few years, now while that has a lot to do with the good interior pass rush, who is poised to have a breakout year back there? I see it being Karl Joseph.
EP: Vincent, first of all, I appreciate your steadfast dedication to submitting questions to the mailbag each week; we see you, brother.
Anyways, yes, you're right in saying that Karl Joseph is poised for a breakout year on the backend of the Raiders secondary, but I'll give you another guy to keep an eye on – cornerback Rashaan Melvin.
The former Indianapolis Colt arrives in Oakland with something to prove, mainly that he can be a top-tier cornerback in the NFL, and I think he's going to get every chance to be that in 2018.
At 6'2", Melvin very much looks the part of the new-age, NFL cornerback, and while he might just have three interceptions to his name right now, he's shown a sense for the football throughout training camp and the preseason.
I just have this feeling that 2018 is going to be a big year for Mr. Melvin.
From: Todd Sobieralski When will the Raiders play in ALL silver uni's???
EP: Todd, I think you're going to be waiting a while to see that one, my man.
Look, I might be biased here, but the Raiders have some of the best – if not the – best uniforms in sports, and truth be told, I don't really see the point in messing with them.
Maybe a tweak here, or a tweak there for a special occasion, but I'm a big believer in keeping the classics classic, and that's what the Raiders uniforms are.
I think the closest you're going to get to your all silver uniform dream is watching the Color Rush game.
From Adrienne Cooper: The starters won't play against the Seahawks. What do we need to do to win?
EP: Adrienne, I think coming back to the Bay Area Thursday night healthy is even more important that winning the game. Would Coach Gruden and his staff like to return home with a win under their belts? Sure, but really, the game against the Seahawks is all about solidifying the 53-man roster, and getting one, last evaluation in of players on the bubble.
I'll tell you what, coming home healthy, and with a better idea of which players are making it to September 1 will be a win in my book.
