Tag: Darnay Holmes

Raiders Week 11 snap counts vs Dolphins: Cornerback depth stripped down

At one point the Raiders had no starting cornerbacks on the field and no reserves left at the position either.

Coming into Sunday’s game, the Raiders were down one starting cornerback. Nate Hobbs was OUT with an ankle injury. He was replaced by Darnay Holmes at slot corner. But very quickly the situation got far more dire.

On the second snap of the game, Jakorian Bennett was lost to a shoulder injury and didn’t return. He was replaced by DeCamerion Richardson, leaving Jack Jones as the only starter.

Then Jones left the game for a time, ushering in, which brought in Sam Webb, who was the only remaining cornerback on the roster. And for a time, the Raiders were not only fielding three reserve corners, but their ONLY available corners.

Those three reserves were on the field together when the Raiders gave up the wide open 57-yard touchdown catch to Jonnu Smith that clinched the Dolphins win.

If you’re looking for a glimmer of good news, the offensive line stayed healthy.

All season long, the Raiders have had issues with their offensive line staying healthy. It’s for that reason that they were fielding their sixth starting offensive line of the season on Sunday. And they didn’t have a lot of wiggle room should one of that starting five go down.

So it was with great relief that the Oline started played wall-to-wall, a rare and welcome sight this season.

From left to right LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Jordan Meredith, RT DJ Glaze all played 100% of the snaps in the game. This is just the fourth time this season that has happened.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Dylan Parham G 65 100% 3 13%
Kolton Miller T 65 100% 3 13%
Jordan Meredith G 65 100% 3 13%
DJ Glaze T 65 100% 3 13%
Jackson Powers-Johnson C 65 100% 0 0%
Gardner Minshew II QB 65 100% 0 0%
Brock Bowers TE 62 95% 0 0%
Tre Tucker WR 58 89% 0 0%
Jakobi Meyers WR 57 88% 0 0%
Michael Mayer TE 34 52% 3 13%
DJ Turner WR 28 43% 14 61%
Ameer Abdullah RB 22 34% 12 52%
Zamir White RB 22 34% 2 9%
Alexander Mattison RB 20 31% 0 0%
Justin Shorter TE 9 14% 12 52%
Terrace Marshall Jr. WR 7 11% 0 0%
Ramel Keyton WR 5 8% 7 30%
Thayer Munford T 1 2% 3 13%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 68 100% 6 26%
Maxx Crosby DE 68 100% 6 26%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 68 100% 2 9%
Robert Spillane LB 68 100% 0 0%
Decamerion Richardson CB 66 97% 1 4%
Jack Jones CB 58 85% 0 0%
Adam Butler DT 51 75% 6 26%
Charles Snowden DE 46 68% 13 57%
Darnay Holmes CB 46 68% 6 26%
Divine Deablo LB 46 68% 2 9%
John Jenkins DT 35 51% 6 26%
Jonah Laulu DT 33 49% 6 26%
Tyree Wilson DE 23 34% 6 26%
K’Lavon Chaisson LB 19 28% 0 0%
Matthew Butler DT 16 24% 3 13%
Amari Burney LB 13 19% 20 87%
Sam Webb CB 10 15% 5 22%
Thomas Harper FS 9 13% 13 57%
Janarius Robinson DE 3 4% 0 0%
Jakorian Bennett CB 2 3% 0 0%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Tommy Eichenberg LB 0 0% 20 87%
Amari Gainer LB 0 0% 18 78%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 14 61%
Kana’i Mauga LB 0 0% 14 61%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 8 35%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 5 22%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 5 22%
Andrus Peat G 0 0% 3 13%

 

Is Nate Hobbs playing today? Injury updates for Raiders CB

Raiders CB Nate Hobbs is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates.

The Raiders are in Miami to face a Dolphins team with some serious speed and talent on offense. But they’ll be without their top defensive back in that battle.

CB Nate Hobbs injury update

Hobbs was officially ruled OUT on the final injury report and thus will not play today.

He went out with an ankle injury against the Bengals before the Bye and was carted off the field. He hasn’t practiced this week at all and head coach Antonio Pierce said he is doubtful to play in the game.

Cornerback depth chart

The next man up at slot receiver will be Darnay Holmes who the Raiders signed off waivers just prior to the start of the season.

“Darnay is obviously familiar with the scheme. I’m familiar with him from way back in the day. He’s done a good job of just getting acclimated on special teams and obviously defensively he had a bigger role last week. If Nate is not able to go, that role will be covered.”

Holmes was a fourth round pick by the Giants back in 2020 out of UCLA and spent the past four seasons in New York, appearing in 63 games with 11 starts.

Pierce is likely familiar with Holmes having coached High School ball at Long Beach Poly while Holmes attended Calabasas High and then from coaching in the Pac-12 at Arizona State while Holmes was at UCLA.

Will Nate Hobbs play this week? Injury updates for Raiders CB

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

Sunday the Raiders have a tough test in Miami against a Dolphins team with some serious speed and talent on offense. They need all hands on deck. But it appears one of their top defenders may not be available to them.

CB Nate Hobbs injury update

Hobbs went out with an ankle injury against the Bengals before the Bye and was carted off the field. He hasn’t practiced this week at all and head coach Antonio Pierce said he is doubtful to play in the game.

UPDATE: Hobbs has officially been ruled OUT for the game.

Cornerback depth chart

The next man up at slot receiver will be Darnay Holmes who the Raiders signed off waivers just prior to the start of the season.

“Darnay is obviously familiar with the scheme. I’m familiar with him from way back in the day. He’s done a good job of just getting acclimated on special teams and obviously defensively he had a bigger role last week. If Nate is not able to go, that role will be covered.”

Holmes was a fourth round pick by the Giants back in 2020 out of UCLA and spent the past four seasons in New York, appearing in 63 games with 11 starts.

Pierce is likely familiar with Holmes having coached High School ball at Long Beach Poly while Holmes attended Calabasas High and then from coaching in the Pac-12 at Arizona State while Holmes was at UCLA.

Raiders activate CB Sam Webb from practice squad due to depth issues

Depth issues at cornerback leads Raiders to activate CB Sam Webb from practice squad

Four cornerbacks isn’t nearly enough. That’s what the Raiders had available to them for the season opener against the Chargers. Mainly because injuries have depleted the depth at the position.

To help account for these depth issues, the team activated practice squad CB Sam Webb on Saturday.

Webb could be the next man up after the three starters, which means he could see the field a fair amount.

Nate Hobbs, Jack Jones, and Jakorian Bennett will start at the three cornerback spots. The two cornerbacks who were supposed to be behind them were Brandon Facyson and DeCamerion Richards. But both are injured and won’t play. Facyson is on IR and Richards was ruled OUT on this week’s final injury report.

They signed Darnay Holmes last week and typically you’d prefer to have a cornerback in the mix longer than that before throwing him on the field.

Webb is entering his third season with the Raiders, so he is well versed in this defense. Making it a no-brainer that he get the call up for this game.

Former UCLA star Darnay Holmes joins Raiders for 2024 season

Darnay Holmes joins Las Vegas.

The list of former UCLA Bruins players in the NFL continues to grow by the day. With Week 1 beginning, Darnay Holmes agreed to terms to join the Las Vegas Raiders, per Las Vegas reporter Vincent Bonsignore.

“The @Raiders have agreed to terms with veteran cornerback Darnay Holmes. Physical pending, but looks the the club has their veteran CB.”

Holmes was a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he spent the first four years of his career with the Giants.

Holmes played 16 games in 2023 and 15 in 2022, so he has seen quite a bit of run.

Holmes now reunites with Patrick Graham, the current Raiders defensive coordinator who was previously with the Giants.

The Raiders begin the 2024 NFL campaign on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, so Holmes’ first game with the Raiders will be in a return to LA.

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.

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.

5 recently-cut players the Panthers should consider adding on Wednesday

Here are five freshly-cut players the Panthers should look to add on Wednesday.

You might’ve heard, but the Carolina Panthers (and the rest of the NFL) were very busy on Tuesday.

Every team cut down to their initial 53-man rosters this afternoon, shaping the early stages of the 2024 campaign. For Carolina, the big move left the locker room looking a bit different than expected, and even reopened some areas of concern from the offseason.

But with the team possessing the No. 1 wavier wire priority, they’ll have an upper hand in acquiring some meaningful depth at positions of need. 

Here is a handful recently-cut players the Panthers should consider adding to its roster tomorrow afternoon.

WR Noah Brown

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Brown was one of many standouts for Houston during their worst-to-first surge in 2023—recording 567 yards and two scores off 33 grabs. But in 2024, he was a bit buried on a depth chart that featured Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell.

The 28-year-old is a smooth-handed player who knows how to get open and make competitive plays after the catch. He would provide more quality depth to Carolina’s wideout room.

TE Brayden Willis

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina’s release of veteran Jordan Matthews has left the door open for some youth at the tight end spot, specifically for some athleticism and receiving skills.

The 49ers waived Willis on Tuesday due to his lack of consistent blocking ability in a deep room of their own. The former Oklahoma Sooner would provide Carolina with another receiving option at tight end behind rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders.

EDGE Andre Carter II

David Berding/Getty Images

A former draft community darling, Carter II fell to the numbers game in Minnesota despite a strong preseason.

The Panthers, who are carrying out just four outside linebackers from Tuesday, need more depth off the edge. At 6-foot-6, 256 pounds, Carter could provide steady depth as well as some presence on special teams.

EDGE K.J. Henry

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Henry was once a five-star recruit and former standout with the Clemson Tigers. Coming to Carolina would make a lot of sense, particularly for a team in need of help within the position group.

Henry offers some special teams experience and could provide some explosiveness and pass rush prowess to the defense.

CB Darnay Holmes

Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Once a standout defensive back at UCLA, Holmes has had an up-and-down pro career.

Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is known for getting the best out of his players, no matter the talent or skill level. Holmes fits the bill as a competitive player who brings some ball production and athleticism to the table, and is worth kicking the tires on.

[lawrence-related id=702444,702437,702355]

Giants-Jets preseason Week 3: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants lost their Week 3 preseason game against the Jets. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants closed out the 2024 preseason with a 10-6 loss to the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Saturday night in East Rutherford.

It was a game that highlighted two major areas of concern for the Giants, both of which are continuing trends: A staggering lack of depth and a seemingly endless flow of injuries.

The Giants’ offensive line, which saw center John Michael Schmitz and right tackle Evan Neal start, surrendered eight sacks and gave quarterback Tommy DeVito little time.

Meanwhile, upwards of 10 different players suffered an injury on Saturday night, including both Schmitz and Neals, as well as cornerback Darnay Holmes.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 3 preseason loss.

Offensive snaps: 67
Defensive snaps: 68
Special teams snaps: 24

The Giants used far fewer players on Saturday night than they had over the first two preseason games, giving five players 100 percent of the total snaps. Of those players, rookie safety Alex Johnson likely did the most to help himself.

Defensive tackle Timmy Horne was in line to see more action on Saturday as well but, unfortunately, he left the game on a cart after just a single play.

Cornerback Darnay Holmes also appears to be fighting for his life, receiving 78 percent of the snaps in a meaningless game.

[lawrence-related id=731700,731686,731691]

Giants re-signing CB Darnay Holmes to one-year deal

The New York Giants are re-signing cornerback Darnay Holmes to a one-year deal.

The New York Giants selected Darnay Holmes in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. His rookie contract was up after the 2023 season, but he had no interest in leaving his team.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN is reporting that Holmes and the Giants have agreed to terms on a one-year deal.

Holmes’ career has been quiet. He landed on injured reserve in 2021 with a rib injury and has quietly worked his way back to the field. Because of this, many didn’t think he would be back in blue this fall.

Since he was drafted in 2020, Holmes has appeared in 54 games. He’s recorded 115 tackles (89 solo), half a sack, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four interceptions, and 18 passes defensed.

Those numbers aren’t anything special, in fact, they are pretty average. But what makes Holmes special is his ability to be a team player. He had an injury and missed time, but he didn’t complain about having to work his way back to the field. He did what was asked of him and instead of running off at being offered a number he didn’t like, he accepted a pay cut just to stay in New York.

Holmes is a team-first player. Everyone wants to get paid, but there are a handful of players whose desire to win outmatches their desire for personal gain, and those are the guys you want in your locker room.

Welcome back, Holmes.

[lawrence-related id=725300,725288,725292]