Tag: Oakland Raiders

Should the Seahawks pursue a reunion with DE Dion Jordan?

The Seahawks are already in the mood to bring back former pass rushers, and reuniting with Dion Jordan would be a good low-cost gamble.

It’s no secret the Seattle Seahawks need help rushing the passer. The hope throughout the offseason has been to reunite with Jadeveon Clowney and to potentially add another big name piece as well, like Everson Griffen, Yannick Ngakoue or Matthew Judon.

So far none of that has come to fruition, with the Seahawks biding their time while shoring up their depth in the form of a pair of old friends: Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, two veteran pass rushers who played with the team during the Legion of Boom era.

While the Seahawks certainly need to add at least one big name rusher, ideally Clowney, they could continue to add depth pieces to bring into training camp, hoping the collective unit will help form a solid pass rush in 2020.

Another name the team could consider, since they are on the reunion track, is Dion Jordan.

Jordan spent the 2019 season with the Raiders, appearing in seven games and racking up two sacks. He was with the Seahawks in 2017 and 2018, and while injuries limited him to just 17 total games, he did accrue 5.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

Jordan has had plenty of red flags in his career, namely injury and disciplinary related, but the former third overall pick has proven capable of getting to the quarterback when he’s healthy, and he’s familiar with coach Pete Carroll’s defensive scheme and what his role would be.

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Should the Seahawks reunite with free agent DE Benson Mayowa?

The Seahawks need any help they can get off the edge, and DE Benson Mayowa could be a nice addition after recording seven sacks last year.

The Seattle Seahawks are connected to every single free agent who is remotely capable of rushing the passer – as they struggled mightily in that area in 2019.

While Jadeveon Clowney is the primary target, and names like Everson Griffen and Matthew Judon carry more weight, this team could also look for some cheaper, veteran alternatives to supplant the names they already have on the roster – building that culture of competition in training camp that coach Pete Carroll loves.

A list of names that fall into that camp includes some familiar ones, such as Michael Bennett and Clay Matthews, but another less memorable name that could be a solid under-the-radar signing is Benson Mayowa.

Mayowa, 28, spent last season with the Oakland Raiders, his fourth NFL team in his seven year NFL career which began as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks back in 2013.

Mayowa only appeared in two games with Seattle, recording two tackles before ending up in Oakland, Dallas, Arizona and back to Oakland in 2019.

However, despite his nomadic career, Mayowa has topped four sacks in a season three times, including a career-high seven last year with the Raiders. Four sacks is what Rasheem Green, Seattle’s team leader, recorded last year.

So, there’s little doubt Mayowa could make an impact on this defense, regardless of whether or not the team is able to bring Clowney back into the mix.

If nothing else, Mayowa would be an excellent veteran to bring into training camp on an incentive-laden, one-year deal to push youngsters like Green and L.J. Collier. If both of them beat him out for a job – that’s a good sign things are improving up front.

If not, well, they have a veteran with 20 sacks to his name to help out as a situational pass rusher.

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Report: Panthers signing former Raiders LB Tahir Whitehead

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Panthers are signing former Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead to a one-year deal.

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Panthers are signing former Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead to a one-year deal.

Whitehead was originally a fifth-round pick by the Lions in the 2012 NFL draft. He put in six years with Detroit, followed by two with the Raiders. All together, he’s played in 125 career regular season games, totaling 463 solo tackles (38 for a loss), five interceptions, 24 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, three sacks and 12 quarterback hits.

Shaq Thompson might seem like the heir apparent. However, Whitehead might be the best candidate to be Carolina’s defensive play-caller in 2020, inheriting the role from Luke Kuechly, who is now retired. His previous experience working with Matt Rhule at Temple would certainly help.

Obviously, replacing a future Hall of Fame talent like Kuechly is impossible. However, this is a pretty solid stop-gap measure to help with the transition.

Signing Whitehead (29 years old) doesn’t necessarily mean the Panthers will pass on a linebacker in the draft. Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is by far the best fit for them in this class.

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Cameron Jordan lobbies for the Saints to sign ex-first round pick Dion Jordan

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan surveyed the list of available free agents and highlighted one name: pass rusher Dion Jordan

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How can the New Orleans Saints get better before the 2020 season? They’ve already begun working on that by signing free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowler who is one of the few route-runners in the league who can match Michael Thomas step-for-step. But what about the defense?

Cameron Jordan has some ideas. When browsing a list of available defensive linemen, the All-Pro pass rusher circled one name in particular: Dion Jordan, the third overall pick in the 2013 draft out of Oregon. He has spent recent years playing for the Seattle Seahawks and formerly-Oakland Raiders, having missed a lot of time after a 2015 suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.

He’s played just 24 games in the last three years while dealing with a 2018 knee injury and a suspension related to an expired therapeutic use exemption for Adderall, and Jordan’s stat line isn’t going to raise many eyebrows; in those 24 games, he’s created 7.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits, along with eight tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. But the Saints’ Jordan sees more than a box score.

The veteran identified the free agent’s tools as, “flexibility, inside rusher as well as outside rusher,” pointing to the younger Jordan’s success in creating pressure from all over the defense front, crediting it to rare flexibility for such a tall lineman (the prospect tips the scales at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds).

On top of that, Jordan sees a vision where they could both coexist in certain packages, such as an all-defensive ends look featuring both Jordans lined up upside, with Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson flanking them. Another lineup he proposed would be a package calling for five linemen with hands in the dirt, bookended by himself and Davenport on the edge with interior linemen Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata inside next to the other Jordan.

He’s certainly painting an intriguing picture. When Jordan’s playing days are over, a coaching career could be ahead of him, assuming he doesn’t get a job in the media. But back to his point about adding another Jordan: it would be a fascinating pickup, especially if he can steer clear of further suspensions.

The Saints defensive line was a strength of the team but got whittled down late last season with injuries. Adding someone like the “other” Jordan to the mix would make sense for the reasons already discussed. And it’s not like the Saints aren’t familiar with him; Jordan was picked by then-Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland, now the head of the Saints college scouting department. It’s something worth watching.

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Panthers Wire Film Room: 11 Cam Newton plays that made us say ‘wow’

Even before Cameron Jerrell Newton stepped onto an NFL field, we knew the dude was different. How could you not?

Even before Cameron Jerrell Newton stepped onto an NFL field, we knew the dude was different. How could you not?

6-foot-5. 250 pounds. Threw like he had rocket launcher for an arm. Ran like a gazelle. Oh, and he only carried an entire team, mostly otherwise void of pro-level talent, to a 14-0 record and a National Championship while putting together one of the all-time great Heisman Trophy campaigns.

But it was when he suited up with the Carolina Panthers that we found out he was both different and rare. Newton’s overall mix of talent, skill, athleticism and intangibles gave NFL fans a one-of-kind player they’ve never seen before.

With Newton soon to be traded or more likely released, it’s time to appreciate some of his best work on the field.

Here are 11 moments from Newton during his time in Charlotte that made us say “Wow!”

Running Washington Ragged (2011: Week 7 vs. Washington Redskins)

The 2011 No. 1 overall pick made his presence known immediately, passing for 422 yards in his very first career start—an NFL record for a debut game. As an encore, he threw for 432 yards the next week against the defending champion Green Bay Packers.

That impact continued throughout the year, including on this ridiculous 25-yard run.

Newton ended 2011 as the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, entering the history books with the most passing yards in a rookie season (4,051) and most rushing touchdowns by any quarterback in a season (14).

He was only getting started.

Round and Round We Go (2012: Week 14 vs. Atlanta Falcons)

There’s Newton And there’s Corey Peters, a 6-foot-3, 335-pound defensive lineman. And there’s Newton spinning Corey Peters around like a merry-go-round.

Newton rushed for another 102 yards and a score, while throwing for 287 and two touchdowns in a 30-20 win.

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Report: Tom Brady wants to play with Antonio Brown

Could Tom Brady be throwing touchdown passes to Antonio Brown next year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Pro Football Talk reported that teams who spoke with Tom Brady believe that he wants to play with Antonio Brown. The rumor mills are always at a full churn during the off-season, and with all eyes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time since 2002, expect nothing less.

Brady has been open about his support for Brown, most recently responding to a tweet by the wide receiver, who seemingly was apologetic for his recent off-field antics. When Brady took to his Instagram to thank the New England Patriots organization, Brown returned the support by simply posting a goat emoji.

Wording around the deal that was pitched to Brady was he would be receiving a “God offer” allowing him input for personnel. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brady hasn’t signed the contract due to difficult language, namely in getting a physical during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the details of the deal unknown. Schefter also said this morning that Brady has brought the LeBron James effect to the Buccaneers as a high numbers of players have called about playing for the team this season.

The Buccaneers have some areas to address before the regular season starts, and wide receiver is certainly not one of them. However, if the Buccaneers can bring in a superstar like Antonio Brown –without the drama– it’s worth taking a look. Coach Bruce Arians was on Schefter’s podcast in January 2019 and spoke about Brown, whom he coached for two seasons as the offensive coordinator with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “There’s too much miscommunication, too much…diva,” Arians said.

Failing to reach a contract agreement with the Steelers, Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders on March 10, 2019. Ultimately, Brown signed a 3-year $50 million deal with the Raiders before it all fell apart on September 7, 2019 and he was released. Subsequently, he was picked up by the Patriots on a 1-year $15 million deal, before being released when sexual assault allegations surfaced. This has left Brown with possibly the lowest market value of his career, meaning a lower offer from the Buccaneers could be a viable option.

Whether there is any merit of truth to the reports, a hypothetical wide receiving corps of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Brown catching passes from arguably the greatest quarterback of all-time will be nothing short of a pick your poison for opposing defenses.

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Josh Jacobs stands up for teammate Derek Carr on Twitter

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs responds to a critical tweet about Derek Carr, as some fans look to move on.

Former Alabama star running back Josh Jacobs had quite the rookie season in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, such a good season that many football fans were upset when he wasn’t named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

While playing for the Crimson Tide, Jacobs was often seen as a quiet player who put his focus on getting the job done on the field. Since playing on a professional level, he has been more vocal on social media, done commercials and even had the opportunity to tell his story.

The former Alabama running back took to Twitter to send out the message “Hella disappointed” — which was seemingly about the passing of the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

And to make matters more interesting, over 500 players did not even vote.

The timing of this tweet makes sense when seeing several retweets Jacobs had around that same time. That, however, did not stop fans from speculating and poking fun at the team’s veteran quarterback Derek Carr.

One Twitter user makes it clear that he’s not the biggest fan of the Raiders franchise signal caller. In fact, there is a sizable portion of the Raiders fanbase who believe it is time to move on.

Jacobs, because of the type of person he’s proven to be, stepped in to defend the quarterback he shares a backfield with.

Jacobs responding by telling the fan to “stop disrespecting that man” tells us that he’s supportive of Carr’s role in the soon-to-be Las Vegas Raiders.

Heading into Year Two of his NFL career, there are a lot of people who are excited to see how Jacobs can add onto an already impressive resume.

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Ravens re-sign DT Justin Ellis

The Baltimore Ravens bring back one of their midseason additions from last year in DT Justin Ellis as they build their defensive line

The Baltimore Ravens continue to beef up their defensive line in the early stages of the offseason. On the second and final day of the legal tampering period before free agency officially begins, the Ravens are re-signing defensive tackle Justin Ellis on a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The move comes after Baltimore has agreed to a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell and terms on a three-year contract for pending free agent Michael Brockers.

The Ravens originally signed Ellis late last season, prior to their Week 11 game, as some additional experienced depth. However, Ellis was a healthy scratch for most of the season, playing in just four games for Baltimore (60 defensive snaps) and accounting for just six tackles. Ellis had spent the previous five years with the Oakland Raiders where he had 119 tackles and a half-sack as a rotational piece.

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Steelers release WR Johnny Holton

In one of multiple moves the Pittsburgh Steelers will make to create cap space, the team released one of their wide receivers.

In an effort to be cap-compliant by the start of the 2020 NFL league year on Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut wide receiver Johnny Holton.

Holton was signed as a free agent after spending the 2019 offseason with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was previously with the Oakland Raiders from 2016-2018.

In 16 games (three starts), Holton had just three receptions for 21 yards and returned three kickoffs for 55 yards.

According to Over the Cap, Holton’s release saves the Steelers $825,000 in cap space.

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Antonio Brown tried to do something nice on Twitter, and it backfired

Antonio Brown was complimenting Derek Carr…. we think?

Antonio Brown is clearly trying to stay relevant in whatever ways he can. The free agent receiver, whose NFL career is on pause amid allegations of sexual assault and rape, has stayed active on social media. Though his digital presence has led to damaging behavior, he won’t quit Twitter or Instagram.

Over the last few days, Brown has posted clips of himself at Oakland Raiders’ practices from last summer. In a tweet on Saturday, Brown put out a video of him and quarterback Derek Carr failing to connect on a go-route. Brown wrote: “Derek Carr has an arm he can make every throw practice footage letting it fly.”

Insert facepalm emoji.

Brown is clearly trying to show NFL teams that he’s hard at work with film study, even when he’s out of the NFL. But in the process, he’s done two things wrong. He has shown footage of a team’s practice, which is something they almost always prefer to keep in-house. General manager Mike Mayock and coach Jon Gruden probably won’t like that Brown is making this video public. What’s more, Brown’s compliment almost feels sarcastic. It’s hard to tell whether he’s genuinely praising Carr’s arm when Brown is show an incomplete pass. If Brown wanted to show off Carr’s impressive play, why not tweet out a completion? It’s impossible to try to understand Brown’s behavior.

If we take this at face value, it seems he was trying to say something nice about Carr while getting the Raiders’s attention. But the result was probably net-negative, considering the context of the video, which Brown shared.

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