Oakland Raiders lose starting tackle Menelik Watson

Watson needed help off of the field, after sustaining the ankle injury in the first quarter of the contest. He’ll need to get more acclimated with the starting unit after not spending much time with it throughout camp, but it doesn’t sound as if coach Jack Del Rio will change how much he plans to play Howard or the other starters Thursday in Seattle in the final exhibition game.

With Menelik Watson rupturing his achilles tendon, Austin Howard slides into his natural position of right tackle.

Raiders right tackle Menelik Watson’s season is officially over after the team placed him on injured reserve Tuesday.

“I’m looking to do big things”, Roberts said of this final exhibition. Really unfortunate. He was having a great camp for us. He played well for us. During the postgame conference on Sunday, after the Raiders lost to the Cardinals, Del Rio stated that Watson’s injury was a tough break.

The former Florida State Seminole originally from Manchester, England finally seemed acclimated to the NFL, before the injury.

It will be Howard’s final tune-up before the Raiders open the regular season at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Anybody that’s here we felt was a good fit for us, and anybody that’s not here we just felt like it was time to move on”, head coach Del Rio said.

Watson was replaced by Austin Howard in the Raiders’ lineup on Sunday night, and Howard is now projected as Oakland’s starting right tackle.

Howard has struggled even in relief of Watson in camp and preseason.

Howard told Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group that he’ll do his best in taking over right tackle, but is mostly concerned at this point for Watson.

Outside of Howard, the Raiders could also lean on veterans J’Marcus Webb or Khalif Barnes. Webb now starts at right guard, but his natural-position is tackle. Watson left the game in the first quarter, with a reported ankle injury.

Autry is a lock to make the team and has elevated himself enough that he started last week in Justin Tuck’s absence and showed versatility playing both end and tackle. Barnes’ versatility allows him to play on either side.

A third-round draft pick in 2013 who started 22 games over the past two seasons, Moore was conspicuously absent from Oakland’s defense during the game with Arizona. Moreover, he and Del Rio have familiarity from seasons together with the Jacksonville Jaguars.