Former Vikings RB Alexander Mattison signs on with Raiders

Raiders are adding former Vikings RB Alexander Mattison

Considered the best running back still yet to be signed, Alexander Mattison visited the Raiders facility today. And they didn’t let him leave.

Mattison wasn’t as highly touted as the many of the backs that went in the first wave, but at just 25 years old, his arrow is pointing up.

The five-year veteran is coming off his best season, with career highs in starts (13), carries (180), rushing yards (700), receptions (30), and yards from scrimmage (892).

Though he hasn’t cracked four yards per carry the past three seasons, he has shown steady improvement in that area, going from 3.7 ypc to 3.8 ypc to 3.9 ypc over the past three seasons.

Mattison teams up with Zamir White to give the Raiders their 1-2 punch out of the backfield which they were looking for. And assuming his deal is a far cry from the $14.8 million Josh Jacobs got from the Packers, and with White on his rookie contract, the Raiders should get good value from their backfield this season.

49ers sign former Raiders T Brandon Parker

After six years Brandon Parker’s time with the Raiders might actually be over

After six years with the Raiders, Brandon Parker’s time with the team might actually, finally be over. The former third round pick has signed on with the 49ers, the team announced Monday.

The Raiders were so nervous they could miss out on Parker in the 2018 draft, that they traded three picks to jump up ten spots in the third round.

The North Carolina A&T product was seen as the answer to start at right tackle with first round pick Kolton Miller at left tackle. Miller developed into a solid starting tackle. Parker…did not.

It was not for lack of chances. He was thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie when Donald Penn was injured. He started a disastrouns 12 games that season.

He would start a handful of games over the next two seasons before, in the final year of his rookie contract, he was given another chance at being the starting right tackle, replacing draft bust Alex Leatherwood. Parker would give up eight sacks in 12 starts.

Somewhat surprisingly at that point, he was brought back the next season and suffered an injury that cost him all of 2022. Then he was brought back *again* last season, appearing in five games with one start.

After that run, it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if the Raiders brought him back for yet another go round. But this time, they actually let him walk. And for now he is a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Report: Free agent RB Alexander Mattison to visit Raiders

Raiders finally looking at a running back in free agency

Raiders new GM Tom Telesco has said he would like a running back by committee approach. Meanwhile he let Josh Jacobs go, leaving just Zamir White. The big first wave of free agent running back went pretty quick. Now the Raiders are getting to work.

The first reports of the Raiders going after a new back is having former Vikings running back Alexander Mattison for a visit.

Mattison seems like a prime candidate for a shared carry situation.

The former third round pick has appeared in 70 games over the past four seasons for the Vikings. He’s coming off his best season with 13 starts and career highs in rushing (700 yards) and receiving (192 yards, three TD’s).

His yards per carry hasn’t been great, however. He has not cracked four yards per carry the past three seasons. And he had zero rushing TD’s last season.

It would a homecoming of sorts for Mattison who grew up just three hours down I-15 in San Bernardino California.

Raiders add elite cornerback prospect in latest PFF mock draft

Raiders add elite cornerback prospect in latest PFF mock draft

With the Minnesota Vikings now acquiring another first-round pick, it’s looking more likely that the Raiders will be unable to complete a trade-up in Round 1 to secure a quarterback.

While nothing is set in stone, they just don’t have the assets to move up from No. 13 to No. 5 like the Vikings do. But that doesn’t mean the Raiders can’t be successful in Round 1.

In a recent mock draft by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he had the Raiders selecting Alabama CB Terrion Arnold after missing out on the top four QBs in this class. But here is why he believes that Arnold could be a fantastic fit in Las Vegas with Antonio Pierce:

The Raiders should be aggressive in trading up for a quarterback, but with no deal done here, they attack a major area of need by selecting a potential CB1 in Arnold.

The Raiders need a bonafide No. 1 cornerback and haven’t had one since Nnamdi Asomugha. Adding Arnold at No. 13 would allow Nate Hobbs to slide back to the slot, making the entire defense more dangerous. It’s also worth noting that the Raiders did grab a QB in this mock, picking up Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) in Round 1.

Arnold is the most well-rounded cornerback in this class and he’s a lock top-15 pick. Even if the Raiders miss out on a quarterback in Round 1, Arnold would be an excellent second option. He should be one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks by Year 2.

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Free agent former All Pro CB Tre’Davious White to visit Raiders

Raiders to host former Bills All Pro CB Tre’Davious White this week

The Raiders still have a need at cornerback and from the looks of it they are now looking to fill it. They have a visit lined up with former Bills All Pro CB Tre’Davious White this week. And it looks like he gonna hop over the Los Angeles to visit the Rams as well.

White was once considered one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He was an All Pro in 2019 and a Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020.

Then the injuries started.

White has missed 30 games the past three seasons with various injuries. The most recent being a torn Achilles that cost him 13 games last season. The injury history was part of what had him released by the Bills and why teams would like to get a look at him before they decide whether they want to invest in him.

Obviously if he could stay healthy, he would be a big get for whomever signs him. But they would sign him knowing they have to have a capable backup ready to step in at a moment’s notice.

Report: Raiders bring back DT John Jenkins on one-year deal

DT John Jenkins reportedly staying with Raiders

With free agency nearly a week old, the Raiders free agents have had plenty of opportunity to see what kind of market was out there for them. And some are opting to now return to the team.

Today it was about bringing back two of the reasonably productive interior defensive linemen from last season. Earlier today it was Adam Butler who re-signed. And no John Jenkins is re-joining him according to ESPN’s Amber Wilson.

The 34-year-old comes back on a one-year, $3.25 million deal per the report.

His 61 combined tackles last season led all Raiders interior defenders, showing that he still has something to offer. Making this a good value signing for the team.

The big ticket addition for the Raiders this offseason was former Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins. Jenkins figures to rotate with Adam Butler at the other defensive tackle spot with several former Raiders draft picks like Byron Young, Matthew Butler, and Nesta Jade Silvera competing for snaps as well.

Steelers trade for Justin Fields would seem to validate Raiders OC Luke Getsy hire

Justin Fields trade suggests the entire NFL shares Raiders opinion that OC Luke Getsy was not the problem in Chicago.

One by one, all the available quarterbacks were either signed as free agents or acquired via trade over the past week. All but one — Justin Fields.

It was obviously the Bears were looking to unload Fields, but the former 11th overall pick was not generating anything near the interest it would have seemed.

Today, the Steelers made a deal to get Fields that showed just how little value teams saw in him.

That’s right, a quarterback who just three years ago was selected just outside the top ten — which is franchise quarterback territory — yields a sixth round pick NEXT YEAR.

That is a serious indictment on him as a player. As they say, it only takes one team to think they can turn a player around and they would easily sent more in trade than what the Steelers just gave up. Which makes for quite a statement that no team did.

That statement essentially is that Fields was the main problem the Bears had with their offense over the past three seasons.

The thing is, however, that the first head to roll when the Bears were attempting to find answers was offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Often times when an OC oversees an offense as bad as the Bears fielded — 28th in points scored in 2022 — and then gets the ax for it, they might have some difficulty finding another OC job quickly.

That was not the case for Getsy who was one of the first hires by new head coach Antonio Pierce. Or at least he was the choice after they missed out on getting Kliff Kingsbury.

Let’s be clear here, this is all about perception. Which means either Getsy or Fields could prove everyone wrong here. But for now, the opinion the Raiders that it was Fields who was the problem with the Bears offense, and not Getsy, would appear to be shared by the rest of the NFL.

Raiders re-sign DT Adam Butler on one-year deal

Adam Butler is back with the Raiders on a one-year deal

Few Raiders defenders had a bigger late season surge than Adam Butler. He had four of his five sacks in the nine games after Antonio Pierce took over as head coach, including a sack in each of the final three games to finish the season leading all Raiders interior defenders in sacks on the season.

That effort has earned him a return for a second season with the Raiders. The seventh year pro has re-signed with the Raiders on a one-year deal according to a source.

Butler originally joined the Raiders as a reserve/future signing following las season. He was considered one of those former Patriots signings as he spent the first four seasons of his career in New England before spending a season in Miami in 2021.

A failed physical designation had him cut prior to the 2022 season, and he didn’t play that season.

Even with the addition of Christian Wilkins to the Raiders defensive interior, they were still not done at the position. A return was always the most likely scenario for Butler and the longer he remained unsigned, the more likely it seemed.

Butler becomes the third Raiders free agent to re-sign with the team along with RB Ameer Abdullah and C Andre James.

Former Raiders QB Jimmy Garoppolo lands with the Rams

Jimmy Garoppolo has been signed by the Rams

Jimmy G has a new home. And he’s going back to Cali. The former Raiders and 49ers quarterback has signed on with the Los Angeles Rams according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Garoppolo was cut by the Raiders this week, just as the new league year began.

The former Super Bowl starter signed on with the Raiders last offseason, but lasted just six games before being benched in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell.

Due to his two-game suspension for a PED violation, his guarantees for this season were wiped out, thus leaving Las Vegas with over $11 million in cap savings this season.

Aaron Donald retires with most pressures in NFL since 2018 but Maxx Crosby isn’t far behind

Aaron Donald’s pressure numbers are incredible. Maxx Crosby being just 3 spots behind him is astounding for two crucial reasons.

Today Aaron Donald delivered the stunning news that he is retiring from the NFL after ten seasons. It’s an announcement he has teased for a couple years now, but still comes as somewhat of a shock considering he is clearly still at the top of the NFL hierarchy at age 32.

How dominant has Aaron Donald been? And I don’t mean over his entire career. I mean lately.

While Pro Bowls and All Pros tell the story of how he is easily the best interior defender of his era — and possibly of all time — his pressure numbers top all players, including edge rushers whose job is literally in the title.

According to Next Gen Stats, since 2018, Donald has faced more double teams (117) than any other player in the league by a pretty considerable margin.

  1. Aaron Donald — 117
  2. Jonathan Allen 84
  3. Chris Jones 81
  4. Leonard Williams 71
  5. DeForest Buckner 70

And yet he still leads the NFL pressures. And one name in the top five may surprise you.

  1. Aaron Donald 472
  2. Myles Garrett 454
  3. TJ Watt 388
  4. Maxx Crosby 362
  5. Khalil Mack 362

Yeah, so hidden below Donald’s eye-popping dominance is the realization that Maxx Crosby has had the fourth most pressures in the NFL over the past six seasons. Tied with former Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Here’s the thing though — Crosby has only been in the NFL for five seasons.

This is compiled since 2018. Crosby came into the league in 2019. So, not only does everyone else on this list have their numbers compiled from one more season than Crosby, but he is the only one on the list whose numbers include his rookie season. All others have been in the league since at least 2017, so they were closer to their primes.

Just something worth noting.

Congrats to the most dominant defensive lineman — and possibly the great defender at any position — on an unreal ten-year career. A no-brainer first ballot Hall of Famer if there ever was one. And the kind of player who the Maxx Crosbys of the NFL can aspire to.