The Las Vegas Raiders are going through it on the injury front. They have 18 players listed on the injury report for their Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos, and seven players out, with five being starters. Oh, did I mention that Maxx Crosby is questionable? Yeah, it's going to be rough, but this is a resilient team that can get the job done, just like last week against the Cleveland Browns.
The Raiders will be without their starting linebacker, Divine Deablo, for a third straight game. The last game he played was against the Baltimore Ravens, where he struggled, as did he against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1. Luke Masterson will miss his first game of the season, as he has been the guy to fill in for Deablo next to Robert Spillane.
So, who does that leave left to start? Amari Gainer, the undrafted free-agent rookie played very well in the preseason, and even wore the green dot. Could he do the job? I'm sure he could, but, he won't be starting on Sunday. Instead, it will be another rookie who hasn't played a game yet -- not even preseason football.
Raiders rookie LB Tommy Eichenberg to start vs. Broncos
With Deablo and Masterson out, the Raiders need someone to start next to Spillane, and rookie linebacker, and a fifth-round pick from the Ohio State Buckeyes, Tommy Eichenberg will get the start. But, here's the catch, he hasn't played hardly at all this season.
Tommy Eichenberg has dealt with his own injuries this season and has had personal issues going on off of the field. He didn't play in the preseason at all due to a leg injury, so, this will be a lot of the fan base's first time seeing him play this much.
Talk about being thrown into the fire, too. Eichenberg is good -- linebackers don't hold a ton of value in the NFL Draft. So, just because he was a day-three pick doesn't mean he isn't good. Antonio Pierce, a former linebacker, has seen the potential from day one. He knows what he can do.
Eichenberg will be next to Spillane in this game, so, at least there's a veteran to help him. You have to feel good about this rookie's first start.
