Category: Raiders buzz

The latest Raiders player to return for another run is veteran cornerback Nevin Lawson according to a source. The former Lions’ starter will be back for his third offseason with the Raiders after appearing in 14 games last season with nine starts.

He has hung around with the Raiders as the next man up at cornerback, or dime back, stepping in at both outside corner and in the slot. Even while the team has invested high draft picks to find starters and depth at the position.

One thing that has eluded Lawson in his seven-year NFL career is interceptions. Amazingly in 88 games with 68 starts, he has never had an interception. Especially surprising considering his four interceptions as a senior at Utah State is part of what got him drafted in the fourth round by the Lions in 2014.

Lawson becomes the ninth player to be re-signed by the team this offseason. You can see all of them here.

What his return means for the team’s plans for adding an outside cornerback in free agency remains to be seen. They need a new starter at nickel after cutting Lamarcus Joyner and could use a veteran to push second-year first round pick Damon Arnette on the outside. So, more is needed at the position, even with Lawson returning.

As cool as it may have sounded to have Kenyan Drake join fellow Alabama alum Josh Jacobs in the Raiders backfield, it didn’t seem like something that would happen. Most saw Drake as a feature back and the Raiders as focusing on the defense with their limited funds. They had other plans.

“Once Monday got going coach Gruden was just head and shoulder above everybody in terms of interest.,” said Drake.

Drake got a pretty hefty contract that came with $11 million guaranteed over two years with the chance to reach $14 million after incentives. It’s a contract you might expect a starter to get. But the Raiders already have Jacobs entrenched as the starter. So, what’s Gruden thinking? And why would Drake want to play somewhere he wouldn’t be the feature back?

Drake noted that playing with fellow Alabama running back Josh Jacobs was attractive to him. Though they never shared a backfield for the Crimson Tide (Jacobs came in the year after Drake left). There had to be more to it than that.

“With my abilities, just being a ‘starter’ isn’t something that is a high priority in terms of being out there for however many plays,” Drake said of choosing the Raiders. “What coach Gruden said was that he was going to use me was just being on the field in a multitude of ways; playing receiver, playing running back. Just having that kind of ability to use my versatility as a weapon in the open field is something that really spoke to me. To share that role with Josh with him being such a capable back, I feel like it spells success for this team.”

Playing running back and receiver? Sounds like Drake is Gruden’s latest attempt and filling the Joker role in his offense. Sounds intriguing. And Drake is talented enough to do well in that role. The question is if the ‘Drake & Josh’ backfield can contribute enough to the team success to make it worth the big contract for Drake after already using a first round pick on Jacobs. Especially with the defense in such dire need of attention.

Just four years ago, Solomon Thomas was the third overall pick in the NFL draft. He was a force on the interior defensive line for the Stanford Cardinal and the team right down the road kept him there.

Where they didn’t keep him was in the position he played at Stanford and according to Thomas that contributed to his never having lived up to his potential.

“The 3-tech is where I made my bread and butter in college,” Thomas said Friday over video conference call. “It’s where I feel the most efficient, I feel like I can be the extremely explosive, I’m quick, I’m really strong with my size and I’m really disruptive.”

He played defensive end for the 49ers, which often times had him rushing the edge, which is not where Thomas feels he does his best work.

Whatever the reason, whether it was where he lined up or otherwise, Thomas was an immense disappointment over his time with the 49ers. And then in his last chance to prove himself, he tore his ACL in the second game of the season.

Last season was set to be his contract year, when he wanted to put his best performance on tape and the injury basically made him somewhat of an afterthought on the free agent market. His redemption would have to wait for a fresh start. The 25-year-old Thomas feels like he has one.

“I’ve learned about myself, I’ve grown, I’ve matured into the complete person I am today, into the complete player I am today,” he said. “I believe in myself more than I ever have. And I truly feel like my career is just starting. I’ve played four years in the league, but I really feel as young as I’ve ever felt, even coming off an ACL injury and I feel the most excited and hungry as I’ve ever felt in my life. I’m ready for this. It took four years to come full circle and learn all this and really become one with me, but it was worth it and that’s how life works. I’m ready to go and prove the greatness of Solomon Thomas and what’s about to come.”

Part of why Thomas feels like his career is starting over is how Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli’s plans to use him; back at the 3-tech, where he put up 12 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss over two seasons at Stanford.

“Playing that 3-tech is what we see me doing and I am super excited for it, I believe that that’s a perfect spot for me and I believe I can really excel and help the team there,” Thomas added.

“I’m just ready to go. I’m ready to wreak havoc, I’m ready to get after it. We’re going to be disruptive, and I’m looking forward to being a part of this talented defensive line.”

As it stands now, the 3-tech spot for the Raiders could be crowded. That’s where Maurice Hurst plays as well as Quinton Jefferson who the team also just signed in free agency. And Clelin Ferrell is expected to move inside on passing downs.

Interesting considering Thomas sees this as a career re-start considering he’s going to have to earn his reps, something he probably didn’t have to do much early on in his career as the third overall pick.

Quite 2020 Raiders players have joined new teams the past few days. Part of them are free agents and part are cuts. Lamarcus Joyner is the latter. He was cut this week as a cap casualty and today he joined the Jets on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

And the money: 1-year, $4.5M https://t.co/pv9lNnTyn9

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 19, 2021

The deal is worth $4.5 million which isn’t too bad in the current climate. Especially when you consider Joyner has to prove himself again after struggling at nickel corner for the Raiders the past couple seasons.

With the Jets, Joyner will get to return to the safety spot where he’s had the most success in the NFL. Not surprisingly he would look for a team that wanted to sign him as a safety.

The 30-year-old had four interception in 2017-18 as a free safety for the Rams, which earned him a lucrative deal with the Raiders. But the switch to nickel corner led to zero interceptions and just eight pass breakups in two seasons in Silver & Black.