For the moment, the Oakland Raiders have lost one of their best players. Left tackle Jared Veldheer has been ruled out indefinitely after tearing his left bicep. During training camp, Veldheer had been wearing a brace in order to try and play through the injury, but after a second MRI, it was revealed there was a full tear. As of now, Veldheer is being played in "Injured Reserve-Designated to Return" list as Dennis Allen remains hopeful he will be back at some point.
Veldheer is not an easy player to replace. He has been one of the most dependable starters over the past three seasons. For now, Alex Barron is penciled in as his replacement. A former first-round pick, Barron came to the Raiders after playing for the St. Louis Rams. He was the second most penalized offensive lineman during his time there. He has not seen a whole lot of action yet, which does not bode well for Oakland.
Ideally, Menelik Watson would possibly replace Veldheer, but he is a rookie and might not be ready. Watson is also battling a calf injury keeping him out of practice. Allen has remained complimentary of Barron after having a strong offseason. The head coach is counting on offensive line coach Tony Sparano to shape Barron into a valuable replacement for the time being.
The success of starter Matt Flynn is really dependent on the chemistry between the offensive line. Barron must prove he can handle protecting the blind side and opening up holes for running back Darren McFadden. If the Raiders can feel comfortable putting Barron at left tackle to lineup next to Khalif Barnes, which would prevent them from rushing Watson into a starting role so quickly.
If the Raiders do not like what they see in Barron and Watson in the starting lineup, they might have to go out and sign a free agent to fill the spot. At this point there is almost no one of quality talent left. The Atlanta Falcons might also be in the market for an offensive lineman. The options are relatively slim.
Veldheer's injury comes at a bad time. The tackle is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and will need to show some on-the-field action to get quality looks.
