Category: Raiders buzz

Raiders LB Denzel Perryman still unvaccinated but now ‘thinking about’ getting vaccinated

Raiders LB Denzel Perryman still unvaccinated but ‘thinking about’ getting it

Thursday Raiders new linebacker Denzel Perryman entered the media room for his first press conference since joining the team. And an elephant walked in with him.

Last July Perryman said he wouldn’t get vaccinated. With that comes a lot of restrictions that can be hard on the player as well as the team dynamic.

The big question was two fold; had his stance changed and would his stance on being vaccinated have been part of the discussion when the Raiders made the trade to acquire him from the Panthers.

It was fairly obvious by the very significant looking mask Perryman was wearing for his press conference that he was still unvaccinated. But Perryman’s tune has changed from a couple months ago.

“For the record I am thinking about (getting) the vaccination now,” said Perryman. “I ain’t gonna lie, there’s too many restrictions going on. Can’t even eat with my fellow brothers. I don’t like being an outcast. . . Us unvaccinated guys can’t do much of anything. Just sit in the room and order food and come to work.”

The Raiders have prided themselves on having a high vaccination rate among the players and Gruden has said the staff is fully vaccinated. Even the stadium is requiring fans to be fully vaccinated in order to attend, in which case they may be maskless.

Perryman should get vaccinated just for his own health and those around him. But if being able to move around freely and spend time with his new teammates is enough to convince him to make that decision, that works too.

Raiders sign veteran LB K.J. Wright to one-year deal

Raiders sign veteran LB K.J. Wright to one-year deal

The Raiders have never been shy about adding veterans to their roster. This week alone, the team traded for linebacker Denzel Perryman, who has experience in Gus Bradley’s defense during their time together in Los Angeles. Now, they’ve added another familiar face.

According to Josina Anderson, the Raiders have signed veteran linebacker K.J. Wright to a one-year deal. The team met with Wright over a month ago, but did not sign him. But with Nicholas Morrow nursing an injury, the Raiders needed another linebacker that knew Bradley’s scheme well.

Wright played well for the Seahawks last year, ranking as the No. 14 linebacker per Pro Football Focus. It remains to be seen how the Raiders use Wright as the team is now loaded at linebacker. The expectation is that the young linebackers in Tanner Muse and Divine Deablo will come off the field, likely only seeing special teams action.

Wright has started 140 games in the NFL, totaling 941 tackles and 66 tackles for a loss. He made his one Pro Bowl appearance with the Seahawks during the 2016 season when he recorded 126 tackles and 12 tackles for a loss. Wright turned 32 in July.

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Rookie LB Divine Deablo latest Raiders player to nab single-digit number

Rookie LB Divine Deablo latest Raiders player to nab single digit number

This offseason, the NFL opened up their number selection rules to allow most positions to wear single digit numbers. It used to be just quarterbacks, kickers, and punters who were allowed. Now it’s anyone other than linemen who can don a single digit.

The first Raiders player to change to a single-digit number was Zay Jones who switched from No. 12 to No. 7. Now the Raider have another. Third-round rookie linebacker Divine Deablo has switched from No. 49 to No. 5.

What’s interesting is the number five was always available to Deablo or anyone. No one was wearing it in camp, so it wasn’t a matter of waiting until a player was cut to pounce on it. It must’ve been that he just wasn’t given permission until now.

Often times the reason for the switch has to do with what the player wore in college. That was the case with Zay Jones who wore number seven at East Carolina. Deablo, on the other hand, wore  No. 17 as a safety at Virginia Tech. And wore No. 88 as a freshman when he played wide receiver. So, I guess until someone asks him, we won’t know what the significance is to the number five.

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PODCAST: Was the preseason a success for the Raiders?

PODCAST: Was the preseason a success for the Raiders?

In this episode of the Raiders Wire Podcast, Marcus Mosher and Ryan O’Leary discuss Jon Gruden and the rest of the coaching staff resting all of their starters in the preseason and why that was a smart strategy this season.

Plus, they take an early look at the betting line for next week’s game against the Ravens and they give some of their favorite bets for the 2021 season. All that and so much more in this episode of the show!

Enjoy the show with the player at the top of the page and make sure to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. You can also follow Marcus on Twitter @Marcus_Mosher and Ryan O’Leary, host of the Raiders Wire Podcast at @RyanOLearySMG.

If you would like to listen to older episodes of the Raiders Wire Podcast, feel free to use the playlist below to find your favorite show from the past!

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Offense line is the biggest variable for Raiders this season

Offense line is the biggest variable for Raiders this season

We are just one week away from the 2021-2022 NFL season beginning with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. So it’s time to ramp up our coverage of the Raiders, taking a look at the expectations for this team in Jon Gruden’s fourth year.

After an 8-8 season in 2020, what are the expectations for Gruden and the Raiders this season? About how many wins should this team finish with, assuming they stay relatively healthy?

In a recent piece by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, they listed each team’s ceiling and floor heading into the 2021 season. Paul Gutierrez, the beat reporter for the Raiders, gave the team a win-window between 6-10 wins. That feels about right considering their win total is set at 7.5 to 8 wins on most sportsbooks.

The biggest variable for this team and how many wins they earn, according to Gutierrez? The offensive line. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the unit going into the year:

“QB Derek Carr — who has improved in each of his seasons in Jon Gruden’s system — has weapons galore, but none of it matters if the O-line can’t protect him. Stalwart center Rodney Hudson, road grader right guard Gabe Jackson and maddening right tackle Trent Brown were among the departures. New pieces include center Andre James, right guard Denzelle Good and rookie right tackle Alex Leatherwood, and if that group is solid, so too should be the Raiders’ record. Otherwise, avert ye eyes, Raider Nation.”

The Raiders feel good about their young offensive linemen, especially James and Leatherwood. But until they actually get onto the field against a quality opponent, we have no idea how they will look.

They took a big leap of faith this offseason when they moved on from three veteran starters, but offensive line coach Tom Cable is among the better interior coaches in the league. How this unit performs and develops over the season will be a tell-tale sign of how the team does this year.

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Raiders CB Nate Hobbs makes PFF’s All-Rookie Team from preseason

Raiders CB Nate Hobbs makes PFF’s All-Rookie Team from preseason

While no one should put too much stock into the preseason, the Raiders have to be really encouraged by what they saw from their defense over the last few weeks. New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley had his unit playing fast and confidently, something we haven’t seen in a long time from the Raiders.

One of the players that stood out the most in the preseason for the Raiders is slot cornerback Nate Hobbs. The fifth-round rookie from Illinois had an impressive preseason, making plays both in coverage and as a blitzer. Because of his strong training camp and preseason performance, he has locked down the starting slot job for the Raiders in Week 1.

Just how good was Hobbs in the preseason? According to Pro Football Focus, he was the site’s highest-graded rookie cornerback during the preseason. He was also named to the All-Rookie Team by the site as they praised him for his play:

“It’s no secret that Las Vegas has had issues at cornerback in recent years. Hobbs is obviously a long shot to fix that as a fifth-rounder, but he was the highest-graded rookie corner this preseason. Hobbs played 57 snaps — 30 in the slot and 27 out wide — and earned a 90.7 overall grade. Both his pass breakup and his interception against the Los Angeles Rams came in an impressive fashion. Expect him to see serious playing time this year.”

It remains to be seen if Hobbs can roll this positive buzz and momentum into the regular season, but the early signs have been fantastic. Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden might have solved their slot cornerback issues this year in the form of Nate Hobbs.

Look for Hobbs to be among the starters in Week 1 when the Raiders take on the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

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‘We got something’: Mike Mayock tells story behind Raiders discovery of CB Nate Hobbs

‘We got something’: Mike Mayock tells story behind Raiders discovery of CB Nate Hobbs

The standout among the Raiders rookies this year has been fifth round cornerback Nate Hobbs. His quick emergence has made more than a few people wonder how he fell to the fifth round, how they missed him, and how the Raiders got him.

Raiders GM Mike Mayock was asked about Nate Hobbs and he responded by telling a long story of how they discovered and ultimately drafted Hobbs. It offers an inside look into how the longtime draft guru has gone about his draft work since taking over as Raiders GM and how the Raiders organization functions in terms of drafting players.

“I got a call from one of our cross check scouts after the Illinois pro day,” Mayock began his story. “And he said ‘Mike, do me a favor, put your eyes on Nate Hobbs. He just ran 4.45, he jumps 41 inches, he tested better than we thought he would test and I’m not sure if we’ve got the right grade on him. Don’t get me wrong, we had a pretty solid grade on him, but I want to make sure he’s not getting lost in the cornerback shuffle.’

“So, I get off the phone and I literally put his tape on right there. And I’m like, man…he competes, he tackles, he’s tough, he’s a three-year starter in the Big-Ten, he was an outside corner almost predominantly. And he played special teams. And this was a hard-nosed, tough guy. And he just ran 4.45 and jumped 41 inches.

“So, I literally got out of my chair — I spent about two hours watching him — I got out of my chair, sprinted downstairs to the second floor, grabbed Ron Milus the defensive back coach…and, again, every building is different. Trust me, I spent 18 years at NFL Network being in all the buildings and everyone does their jobs differently. We’re a coach-driven building. With our scouts. So, I run downstairs and say ‘Milo, get your eyes on this guy, please. Tell me what you think, today.’ He comes running back up in an hour and a half and says ‘we got something,’ He said ‘I think this kid will compete at nickel.’

“He was an outside guy and the reason we thought he could compete at nickel was how tough he was. His quickness and his toughness. He rarely missed tackles. Very aggressive kid. So, when you talk about moving outside to inside, that’s what you’re looking for. And you got to be a quick processor, which we can’t tell whether he was or not as an outside corner, but you better be quick and you better be tough. And he was those things.

“So, all of the sudden we push him up the board a little bit more. The coaches like him, the scouts like him, we got him on a zoom call. And he knocked it out of the park. And what the coaches do is they challenge him pretty hard. They give him some of our Raider verbiage and they push it out and challenge it back. And he got all the concepts immediately.

“I was on the zoom call, it wasn’t like I heard about it, I was on the call. He got all the concepts, the coaches drilled him, he got an A+ on that drill and we’re sitting back and going ‘what’s wrong with this picture?’ Three-year starter in the Big-Ten, tough, competitive, every one of our scouting grades on him was that he competes and toughness at a high end.

“So, I think the cool part for me is seeing it come together. It started with the trigger from the cross-checker telling me to get my eye on him. It went from there down to Milo and then it went to the zoom call, and then it was the whole group getting together saying we got to get this guy. Where’s he probably going to go league value and at what point do we have to pull the trigger.”

This seems to be the blueprint for uncovering day three gems. Players like Maxx Crosby (4th round), Foster Moreau (4th round), Hunter Renfrow (5th round), and Hobbs (5th round). It’s the primary reason Mayock is here. Teams are built through the draft and primarily finding talent up and down the draft, not just in the first couple rounds.

Hobbs in particular looks like a real find. He had practically won the starting nickel corner job by the end of camp and locked it down in the second preseason game when he earned a game ball. They sat him for the final preseason game while several other rookies drafted ahead of him still played in the game.

Raiders bringing back TE Derek Carrier day after release

Raiders bringing back TE Derek Carrier day after release

Raiders GM Mike Mayock took to the podium Wednesday, a day after the team had made several cuts to get down to the 53-man roster limit. One of the first things he pointed out was this roster as of this moment is not final. That it’s fluid. He noted at least one example of how the roster will change today.

“We’re probably going to make some IR moves today and that may open up a roster spot or two,” said Mayock.

What he means are short-term or partial season IR designations. Had the team put a player on IR yesterday, that player would be lost for the season. But they have a few guys who they figure will miss some of the season, including the likes of Nicholas Morrow, Javin White, and Jalen Richard.

When those moves come down, one player who will be returning according to a source is tight end Derek Carrier.

The veteran tight end was cut yesterday after his fourth training camp with the team while first-year tight end Nick Bowers made the squad. But Gruden likes his tight ends, especially ones who can also play well on special teams such as Carrier. And Mayock hinted that Carrier’s release was not meant to be permanent.

“Derek Carrier has been one of our best special teams players and we’ll see what happens there,” Mayock said, missing only a wink.

As for the other potential additions or returns, it’s all fair game. Mayock suggested that potentially an offensive lineman and/or a linebacker could be incoming soon.

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Raiders veteran DT Gerald McCoy gets No. 93 as promised

Raiders veteran DT Gerald McCoy gets number 93 as promised

On Wednesday, the Raiders took the practice field for the first time since the final roster cuts came down. And among them was a familiar face wearing a more familiar number.

It was veteran Gerald McCoy who was no longer sporting the number 61 he wore in training camp, but rather the number 93 he had worn throughout his 10-year NFL career and even dating back to his college years at Oklahoma.

The switch to his favorite number was what McCoy had promised would happen when he joined the team back in early August.

Even after his tweet proclamation, he was asked about it when he stepped in front of the media two days later. And he reiterated his vow.

“I will be 93. Is that better?” said McCoy. “That’s a part of being a leader, man, you don’t just come in and snatch up somebody’s number. Like let some number become available first. I can be 61 in the preseason. Oh, but Monday Night Football…Yes!”

The player who McCoy would have had to “snatch” 93 had he wanted to do so was Kendal Vickers who had only worn the number the past few months. Vickers had already switched from 91 when Yannick Ngakoue joined the club back in March.

Regardless, McCoy didn’t need to ask Vickers for the number. Vickers was waived on Tuesday, making the number available for McCoy. Wednesday Vickers was signed back to the practice squad, and when he retakes the field, he will again be wearing a new number.

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Just released former Raiders SS Karl Joseph signs onto Steelers practice squad

Just released former Raiders S Karl Joseph signs onto Steelers practice squad

One of the more surprising cuts by the Raiders Tuesday was veteran Karl Joseph. The team’s former first-round pick returned after a year in Cleveland and seemed like he might be in line for a backup safety spot. But in the end, it was Roderic Teamer who the Raiders opted to keep and released the veteran safety Joseph.

You figure he wouldn’t be unemployed long. Today, the West Virginia alum resurfaced on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad.

Still just 27 years old, Joseph was the Raiders’ selection at 14 overall in the 2016 draft. Many predicted he would drop out of the first round that year due to a serious knee injury. But the Raiders picked him despite that injury and Joseph got off to a slow start while recovering from it.

Year two was his best season in the NFL. He started 15 games that season at strong safety and put up a career-high 79 tackles. Not only did he never reach those tackle numbers again, he never started more than nine games again and never had more than one interception in a season.

His return to the Raiders was a nice story. But it didn’t work out and hopefully, he can resurrect his career in Pittsburgh.

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