Khalif

Barnes

Barnes manned the blind side in Jacksonville, but other teams appear to be viewing him as a right tackle. Barnes has also been linked to the Raiders.

Mario Henderson is still raw at left tackle and incumbent RT Cornell Green is no great shakes on the strong side. The Raiders want to sign one veteran free agent tackle and possibly add another in the draft.

Similar to Oakland’s opening-day left tackle in 2008, Kwame Harris, Barnes is poor in pass protection. He may be viewed as a right tackle in Oakland.

The Raiders could turn their attention to Terrell Owens once they get Barnes signed. He’d be a candidate to start at left or right tackle in Oakland.

Nor will he sign with the 49ers. The agent said that Barnes will sign with “one of two other teams,” so it sounds like he has multiple suitors outside the Bay area. The Raiders are doing a lot of wining and dining but very little actual signing.

He drew no interest elsewhere after the Saints re-signed Jon Stinchcomb. Barnes, 27, figures to get a better deal than Oakland gave Kwame Harris last year. Harris’ “three-year” contract basically voided after one season.

Barnes was rumored to be close to a deal with Oakland last week, but Al Davis reportedly got cold feed, so Barnes continued on to Tampa for a visit.

The Raiders are likely hoping that Khalif Barnes or project rookie Bruce Campbell will beat out Carlisle, but we don’t see it happening. Carlisle, entering his age-33 season, will get the chance to stave off his decline.

Jacksonville’s former longtime left tackle started all 16 games on the right side in Oakland last year. The 30-year-old graded out poorly as both a run and pass blocker by Pro Football Focus, however. Barnes will face competition for the job in training camp, but Oakland’s new zone-blocking scheme may help him.

Barnes wasn’t a shoo-in to keep his job when he re-signed in March, but the Raiders didn’t draft any tackles. Barnes struggled mightily last season and is an odd fit for Oakland’s new zone-blocking scheme. Joseph Barksdale might get a look, but he’s another blocker with heavy feet and poor system fit. Right tackle could be a major trouble spot for the Raiders this year.