Category: NFL Free Agency

Former Raiders QB Nathan Peterman joins 3rd NFL team in a month

Former Raiders QB Nathan Peterman joins 3rd NFL team in a month

You’ll rarely see another player with less success in the NFL get signed more times to more teams than Nathan Peterman. Today he signed with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad, making for his third NFL team in a month.

A month ago, Peterman was part of the New Orleans Saints. He was released early in training camp and a little over a week later, he signed with the Raiders. Two weeks later, he was released with the roster cuts to get from 90 to 53 players and the team opted for Carter Bradley to join the practice squad, leaving Peterman unsigned.

Peterman joins his sixth NFL club entering his eighth season, meaning he now has been part of more NFL teams than he has NFL starts (5) or NFL touchdown passes (4). But still less than half of his career interceptions (13).

He’s just one of those guys who hangs around. His longest stint with any team was the four years he spent with the Raiders from 2018-21 and in that time he had zero starts and a grand total of five pass attempts with no touchdowns. He had one touchdown pass with the Bears in 2022, and before that is last TD was was 2018.

Talk about a dream job.

Chiefs release former Raiders mid-round draft pick days before season opener

Chiefs release former Raiders mid-round draft pick days before season opener

The Chiefs hit the practice field today to start game week preparations for their Thursday Night Football opener. And they do so without Neil Farrell Jr and Matt Dickerson. As the two were both released from the team’s practice squad.

Farrell was a round four pick by the Raiders in the 2022 draft as part of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler’s first draft class. He played nine games as a rookie in Las Vegas, but after showing up out of shape to begin 2023 camp, he was ultimately traded to the Chiefs before the start of his second season.

The former LSU Tiger appeared in three games last season and was among the players the team waived on cutdown day, after which he was re-signed to the practice squad. That lasted a few days before the team simply cut him altogether.

Farrell was one of four defensive tackles the Raiders selected in McDaniels and Ziegler’s two drafts with the Raiders. Only one still remains on the team — 2023 seventh round pick Nesta Jade Silvera. The two highest drafted ones were Farrell and 2023 third round pick Byron Young. Young was waived last week and claimed by the Eagles.

As it happens Dickerson once spent time with the Raiders on their offseason roster in 2021.

Las Vegas product Jonah Laulu was casualty of Colts DT depth, bonus draft pick for Raiders

Raiders wanted to draft Las Vegas product Jonah Laulu. And thanks to the Colts deep DT room, the Raiders got him anyway

To be honest, this is one of the few years I can recall there being less struggling with predicting who the Raiders might keep and who they might cut. That’s not to say my predictions were perfect — they were pretty close — that’s to say there weren’t a lot of guys getting pushed out due to a numbers issue. Which is to say just too much talent at that position.

There were several positions, however, where they had the opposite problem. The most glaring was probably defensive tackle.

Outside the top three of Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, and Adam Butler, no one was stepping up to take the final couple spots on the depth chart.

So, when it came time for cuts, the Raiders were on the lookout for a player who was probably talented enough to make their roster, but still found themselves the odd man out on a more talented squad.

That was the case in Indianapolis. They had the good kind of problem where they are very deep at the position and so a tough cut had to happen. GM Chris Ballard had said it was the toughest position for him due to how deep it was.

The result was that both of the defensive tackles they waived were scooped up off the wire by other teams. Their 2022 fifth round pick Eric Johnson II was claimed by the Patriots and this year’s seventh rounder Jonah Laulu was claimed by the Raiders.

“I give Tom Telesco credit, now,” said Ballard of Raiders claiming Laulu. “Jonah, he’s probably not ready, but he will be one day. He’s going to be a good player.”

Telesco and Antonio Pierce were familiar with 6-5, 292-pouner because he is from Las Vegas and attended Centennial High School. And according to Pierce, the team was looking to draft him.

“Jonah was here at our local pro day, and I liked him,” said Pierce. “I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a chance to draft him, but you watch, you just look at your roster, you look at everybody else, you look at the waiver wire, and you make a decision. And we felt Jonah gives us some more depth and a little bit more juice in the D-line room.”

With Laulu available, the Raiders signed him and cut 2023 third round pick Byron Young who had a disappointing rookie season and didn’t appear to have improved any in this year’s camp and preseason.

Hard to say how much the Raiders were really looking to draft Laulu considering their last pick was at 229 where they selected CB MJ Devonshire and Laulu was picked at 234. Pierce and Telesco may have thought Laulu was draftable, but he just wasn’t at the top of their draft board when they picked. That’s how it happens sometimes.

Certainly with just 24 picks left in the draft, the Raiders were already working the phones and likely hoped they could land him as an undrafted free agent if nothing else. But the Colts made sure that didn’t happen.

No matter, in the end they got him anyway. And, for what it’s worth, they cut Devonshire as well and re-signed him to their practice squad.

Ravens sign Adedayo Odeleye

Baltimore Ravens sign Adedayo Odeleye to a deal

The Ravens are always interested in solid pass rushers and as the team starts preparation for the Week 1 matchup at Kansas City, they’re adding to the roster.

Aaron Wilson reports that Baltimore is signing pass rusher, Adedayo Odeleye.

The 6’5″, 265-pound Nigerian-born prospect previously spent time with the Texans as part of the 2022 NFL International Player Pathway program. Nicknamed “Dayo”, he began playing American football at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom.

Raiders two newest DB’s may be asked to play multiple positions

Raiders two newest DB’s may be asked to play multiple positions

Following the roster cutdown to get from 90 players to 53 players, the Raiders made three more additions to the roster. Two of those were defensive backs. Both of whom have something in common — position versatility.

The first addition was undrafted rookie Thomas Harper, who was waived by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The 5-10, 195-pounder is a safety by trade, and his role could be dependent upon where he is needed.

“He does have a skill set to play both safety and nickel position,” Antonio Pierce said of Harper.

“I like his play style. What I saw on film was a guy with a burst, aggressiveness, kind of controlling the back end as a young player. I watched him in college. You just saw a guy each and every week get better in the preseason. And again, whatever you can do to keep building depth in every room, especially in the secondary for us, is critical.”

Not long after, after placing Brandon Facyson on injured reserve, they added cornerback Darnay Holmes.

Over four seasons with the Giants, he showed the ability to play both inside and outside cornerback. The inside cornerback spot for the Raiders was especially a need.

“Yeah, position flex. I mean, that’s key for us, right?,” said Pierce. “Really, the only guy we got that can go inside-outside or outside-inside is Nate Hobbs. So, when you can add another player like that . . . It makes us a better overall unit.”

Darnay has something in common with Jack Jones as well. In that he and Pierce go way back.

“I’ve known Darnay [Holmes] since he was 13,”Pierce added. “I coached him on the 7-on-7 team when he was a freshman. I know his father, I know his family well, followed him throughout his career, spoke to him throughout his college process.”

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham knows him as well. Graham was the DC in New York when the Giants drafted Holmes in the fourth round and coached him for two seasons before joining the Raiders in 2022.

Depending on how quickly Holmes can get up to speed, he could soon be the next man up at cornerback after the starting three of Hobbs, Jones, and Jakorian Bennett.

While Harper will more likely focus on special teams alone while he has several players ahead of him on the depth chart at both safety and at the nickel, including Isaiah Pola-Mao who plays both positions as well.

Former Raiders 3rd round DT Byron Young claimed off waivers by Eagles

The Eagles have claimed Byron Young off waivers a day after the 2023 third rounder was waived by the Raiders

As of right now the Raiders have two spots left on their practice squad. It may be that they hoped to invite back Byron Young to fill one of those spots, but that won’t happen.

The Raiders 2023 third round pick was waived on Wednesday. And a day later, he has been claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Young didn’t see the field much with the Raiders. He appeared in just six games as a rookie last season and he was not making a strong impression this preseason to earn any more playing time.

It wasn’t for lack of opportunities. The Raiders clearly wanted to see if he could work out. He was solidly on the second team defensive interior throughout camp and when John Jenkins missed a couple practices, it was Young who was given looks with the first team alongside Christian Wilkins.

It isn’t surprising at all the the former Alabama star was claimed off waivers. When you’re drafted on the first two days, often it’s for good reason and there’s usually another team eager to see if they can develop him.

Raiders sign former Giants CB Darnay Holmes

Raiders sign former Giants CB Darnay Holmes

As of this morning, the Raiders were looking pretty thin at cornerback. They had just four cornerbacks on the roster, one of which was a fourth round rookie.

To address this depth issue, the team today signed free agent CB Darnay Holmes.

Originally a fourth round pick by the New York Giants in the 2020 draft out of UCLA, Holmes has spent the last four seasons with in NewYork, appearing in 54 games with 11 starts. Over that time he’s put up four career interceptions and 18 pass breakups.

His experience could have him as the next man up on the roster behind starters Nate Hobbs, Jack Jones, and Jakorian Bennett and gives the Raiders a more reasonable five cornerbacks on the active roster.

Raiders cut 7th round rookie CB MJ Devonshire after waiver claims

Waiver claims by Raiders pushed out a member of their draft class

Initially the Raiders entire rookie class made the 53-man roster. But after the team claimed a couple players off waivers from other teams, seventh round CB MJ Devonshire became their first rookie casualty.

Devonshire had his moments in camp, but struggled in preseason play, showing he clearly has some development needed, but has some raw tools to work with. Whether that be with the Raiders or another team should they wish to claim him.

This also means that initially the Raiders will be without both of this year’s seventh round picks because safety Trey Taylor has been placed on partial season IR.

Currently the Raiders have two spots available on their practice squad so it seems very possible Devonshire is brought back to fill one of those two spots.

At the moment, the only cornerback on the practice squad is Sam Webb. And there are just four cornerbacks on the active roster. One of whom is fourth round rookie DeCamerion Richardson. So, Devonshire’s return could be valuable and should he develop quickly, could lead to a return to the active roster in short order.

Raiders cut 2023 third round DT Byron Young

Raiders cut 2023 third round DT Byron Young

After just one season and six game appearances, Byron Young has been cut. Despite an open competition at defensive tackle last season, the third round rookie barely saw the field. And now he’s been cut in favor of seventh rounders Nesta Jade Silvera and waiver claim Jonah Laulu.

Young admitted during camp that he had an attitude problem as a rookie last year. That he thought being a third round pick, he earned certain things and was angry he wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt. It’s admirable that he admitted that, but he’s still got to perform better. And from all indications, he didn’t.

He got pushed around all preseason, leading head coach Antonio Pierce to openly criticize the team’s defensive interior. Something had to give. And it was Young who gave…up his spot on the roster.

There is, of course, still a chance the Raiders could bring him back onto the practice squad. Just as they did when they cut 5th round DT Matthew Butler last year. But as of now, he’s out and has to work to prove he belongs on an NFL roster again.

Raiders claim 2 off waivers after roster cuts

Raiders claim 2 off waivers after roster cuts

Waiver claims have come through and with the 13th spot in the waiver order, the Raiders landed two of them.

The Raiders have claimed safety Thomas Harper off waivers from the Chargers and defensive tackle Jonah Laulu off waivers from the Colts.

Harper is an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame. He had played at Oklahoma State for four years before that. He had one pass breakups and two special teams tackles this preseason.

Laulu was a seventh round pick by the Colts last April out of Oklahoma. The 6-5, 292-pounder had 8.5 sacks of the past two seasons for the Sooners. He had four combined tackles this preseason.

The Raiders will need to make two roster moves in order to make room for the additions of Harper and Laulu.