The Raiders re-signed left tackle Donald Penn this week in a move that has left a lot of people complimenting the quality of the offensive line in Oakland.
Penn joins guard Kelechi Osemele, center Rodney Hudson, guard Gabe Jackson and tackle Austin Howard (or perhaps Menelik Watson) to make up a unit that looks like it can be one of the best in the league. Penn went a little but further when it came to the possibilities for the line, although he knows that being good on paper and being good on the field are two different things.
“The sky’s the limit, but we can’t just talk about it,” Penn said, via CSNBayArea.com. “We have to work and do it on the field. We have the guys to be the best offensive line in the league and to lead this team. We want to lead by example, and I’m confident the rest of the guys will follow. ... There’s a lot of excitement in the air. We’re going to be a focal point on offense, and we’re going to be leaders of that unit and of the entire team.”
There’s a lot of excitement in the air about the Raiders as a whole heading into the 2016 season and the pieces finally seem to be falling into place in Oakland. The same caveats about having to work and do it on the field apply across the board, of course, but it’s been a while since there was this much reason to feel good about the Raiders in any forum.
Penn will join us on PFT Live after 8 a.m. ET for more discussion about what lies ahead for the Raiders in 2016.