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Gareon Conley and the Oakland Raiders are heading into their Week 8 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts hoping to get their season back on track. After being benched in Week 6, Jon Gruden and the Raiders' coaching staff are prepared to get him back on the field.
According to a report from Silver and Black Pride, Gruden stated that he wants to get Conley more time on the field.
“I’ve said this every week, I’d like to get to two starting corners and Conley is in that mix. He’s going to play a lot in this ballgame. Just trying to find what’s the best combination of guys and you can only do it when they are out there, so Conley’s played a lot in the first four or five ballgames. He will continue to play a lot more as we go because we need to continue to see what he can do.”
At 23 years old, Conley is a big part of what the Raiders are going to do in the future. Especially with the team trading stars for picks, Conley could be an integral piece of rebuilding the defense.
Of course, it was reported earlier this week that some playoff contenders have serious interest in trading for Conley. It's unclear whether Oakland wants to go that route, especially given his youth, but that would also explain him getting more playing time on Sunday ahead of the trade deadline.
Throughout the 2018 NFL season thus far, Conley has racked up 10 tackles to go along with an interception, a defensive touchdown, and six defended passes. Conley may not have put up massive numbers, but he has done plenty to show the talent and potential that made him the No. 24 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Oakland cannot afford to stifle their young talent any longer. They are officially headed into a new era of football and giving Conley more playing time would help with his development.
Expect to see him on the field often this week. Conley will have an opportunity this week against Andrew Luck and company, and he will do everything in his power to prove that he belongs in the starting lineup.
