Raiders training camp notebook 7/31: Jackson Powers-Johnson switching positions again
Last practice, Meredith was running with the first team and JPJ was working with the second team. This after JPJ had been the first team center throughout the offseason and the first week of training camp. So, the question was if Meredith's rise was just an experiment or a changing of the guards...or centers, as it were.
It turned out to be even more than that.
Not only was Meredith again the first team center, but JPJ had moved to right guard with the first team. And remained there throughout practice, including in pass rush one-on-ones.
It's Alex Cappa who was bumped out of the first team and down to second team with this move. Making for the first change in first team personnel for the Raiders offensive line this offseason and camp.
The thing about this move is it may have little to do with Jackson Powers-Johnson and more to do with the other players on the line. It's clear the Raiders want JPJ as a starter. But they also really like what they see from Meredith. Pete Carroll spoke very highly of him on Tuesday and his linemate Kolton Miller did today as well.
"You can see the steps that he's taken," Kolton Miller said of Meredith. "He's been in the league for a while now and now he's really showing up. He showed up last year that's for sure. When he had a chance he stepped up. I've seen him progress and it's really cool. I hope he continues impressing and see where it goes."
If you listened to what Adam Butler said on Tuesday, you'd see he too called this out, saying that he was really excited about Meredith and that JPJ would be an All Pro guard at some point. Today we learned that was no slip of speech.
While watching the pass rush drills, you kinda see why the team would think Cappa is the odd man out in this competition. Maxx Crosby absolutely destroyed Cappa on one rep. Crosby put a move on him, knocked him off balance, and got into the backfield in a flash. And, yeah, Crosby can tend to do that to guys. But it really shouldn't be that easy. And with Cappa having gotten beat like that a lot last season in Cincinnati, that's scary.
Where Meredith played well last season was at guard. But as Pete Carroll said this week, Meredith's size is a better fit for center. Meanwhile JPJ just looks like he belongs at guard. His versatility as a Rimington Award winning center at Oregon just adds to his value.
As a rookie, JPJ played just as much at left guard as he did center. He did some good work at left guard where Kolton Miller worked alongside him.
"Physicality, emotion, finish to him," Miller said of JPJ's work at guard. "It's been awesome to see. . . Wherever he's placed, watch out."
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