The Raiders defense needs all the help it can get tonight when they look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive against the Dolphins. They will get one of their former starters back as they have activated Maliek Collins from injured reserve today.
Collins was signed this offseason and was expected to be a difference-maker on the interior defensive line. But he made no impact over the first 12 games of this season.
The final few games, Jon Gruden said Collins was hampered by injury and was ultimately placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
He returns in time to once again have Rod Marinelli as his defensive coordinator under whom he played for several seasons in Dallas.
“We believe a lot in Maliek and getting him back in here right now,” Marinelli said Wednesday. “He’s had three weeks to I think really get healthy and feeling really good. So, my goal is that he’s going to be the guy we had in training camp. I always believe, I never put a ceiling on a man. I always open the roof up and that’s what I believe. He’s had a good week of practice, he’s got another couple days to go. So, I’m anxious to see him getting going. I hope he can help to really impact the defense.”
The defense should also get Johnathan Abram and Damon Arnette back for tonight’s game. Though they will be without starting linebackers Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow as both have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list along with safety Erik Harris and DB Daryl Worley.
To make up for those losses, the team called up practice squad linebackers Javin White and James Onwualu along with DB Rashaan Gaulden.