Silver And Black Pride
A battle in the trenches that features a couple of former All-Pros
We have another round in the trenches for the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2000s All-Quarter Century Team, focusing on left guard this time. The poll for the blind side is already up, so the emphasis here is on who can create space for Josh Jacobs in the running game after Jacobs won the running back spot.
The nominees for left guard are Steven Wisniewski, Robert Gallery and Kelechi Osemele, giving us a representative from the early 2000s, late 2000s and mid-to-late 2010s.
As a reminder, the offensive line positions will have one representative from each side of the center (left or right) rather than just two guards in general. So, just like tackle and unlike our wide receiver poll, the two losers here will not get a second chance and will be left off the team. Keep that in mind as you cast your vote, and that makes your vote even more important!
Raiders Stats (2000-2001): 32 games, 32 starts (2 seasons)
Accolades: Pro Bowl, Second-Team All-Pro (2000)
If the decision between these three guards were based on career accomplishments, the eight-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro (two first-team and six second-team) would win in a landslide. However, we’re focusing on the 2000s, which was the end of Wisniewski’s career. Still, he managed to make an appearance in the NFL’s All-Star game at 33 years old and went two for two in guiding the Raiders to the playoffs after the turn of the century. In 2000, the Silver and Black had the No. 3 offense and best rushing attack in the league, with him paving the way.
Raiders Stats: 104 games, 103 starts (7 seasons)
Accolades: none
Unfortunately, Gallery is known more for failing at left tackle and being a bust as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. However, while he may not have lived up to the hype, the Iowa product made a successful transition to guard. For example, he earned grades from Pro Football Focus of 78.4 and 81.1 while starting all 16 games during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, both of which were top 25 marks among NFL guards. Also, he gave up just 32 pressures (two sacks) on 1,045 snaps in pass protection during that timeframe.
Raiders Stats: 42 games, 42 starts (3 seasons)
Accolades: 2x Pro Bowl (2016, 2017), First-Team All-Pro (2016)
After signing as a free agent during the 2016 offseason, Osemele made an immediate impact in Oakland. That year, the offensive line as a whole was dominant, where the Raiders offense ranked seventh in points scored and sixth in rushing yards. The first-team All-Pro was a big part of that, and he only surrendered 11 total pressures (zero sacks) that season, per PFF. Not to mention, that team ended the franchise’s long-standing playoff drought. Unfortunately, injuries started to creep up on Osemele at the end of his career, but he...
