Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Tracking Raiders practice squad signings
We’ve cleared the waiver portion of the cutdowns. Now the team can begin signing players to their practice squad. There will ultimately be 16 players on the squad, many of whom will be from players they had in camp and waived, but some may come over from other teams’ cuts.
We track all the moves here.
The USFL is holding its draft. And former Raiders practice squad QB Kyle Sloter was just selected in first round
You may or may not know this, but the USFL is back. Yes, THAT USFL. The one that originally formed in 1985 and lasted just one season before folding is making another run at it 37 years later.
Their inaugural draft is currently being held and is in day two.
Day one began with, as you might expect, quarterbacks. With all eight teams making their selection for who they hope will be their starter.
The number one overall pick by the Michigan Panthers was former Michigan QB Shea Patterson. And the final pick of that first round was recent Raiders practice squad QB Kyle Sloter.
The 6-5 Sloter went undrafted out of Northern Colorado in 2017. Initially he was signed by the Denver Broncos. After being signed to various practice squads over a four-year period, including the Vikings, Cardinals, and Bears, he was signed by the Raiders to a reserve/future contract in January of 2021.
Sloter was released in April, but brought back once the team formed their practice squad in September and remained on the practice squad most of the season until the Vikings signed him to their active roster on December 29 only to waive him five days later.
Now, starting in April, he will have the opportunity to show his skills in actual games to try to prove to NFL clubs that he deserves another shot.
Raiders elevate S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from practice squad vs Chiefs
From the time Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft thru last season, he didn’t miss a game. He’d also started every game at safety the past five seasons. But these days he spends his time on the Raiders’ practice squad, seeing action in just one game this season.
This weekend will make Clinton-Dix’s second call-up from the practice squad. The veteran has been elevated to the active roster for the game on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders likely will be without three defensive backs with S Tyree Gillespie (hamstring) OUT and cornerbacks Amik Robertson (hip) and Keisean Nixon (ankle) both Doubtful. So, obviously they could use the depth.
Also OUT is LB Nick Kwiatkoski, prompting the Raiders to elevate LB Patrick Onwuasor as well.
Onwuasor was also only active for one game this season, and as it happens it was the same week three game vs Miami that Clinton-Dix was active. Both played exclusively on special teams in that game.
Former Chicago Bears and Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Javon Wims has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad.
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Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Javon Wims has signed with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad. The former Georgia Bulldog Javon Wims has 28 career catches for 266 yards in his NFL career.
Now, Javon Wims will try to break into the active roster for Las Vegas. The 3-0 Raiders signed Wims following a workout.
Las Vegas has Zay Jones, Henry Ruggs III, Willie Snead IV, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow as their current receivers. Tight end Darren Waller is the Raiders’ top pass catching threat.
The Chicago Bears waived Javon Wims ahead of the 2021 NFL season. Now Wims has a new NFL home in Las Vegas.
Javon Wims was drafted by Chicago in seventh-round of the 2018 NFL draft. Wims was suspended two games last season for punching New Orleans Saints cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
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Raiders place QB Marcus Mariota on IR, sign LB Marquel Lee off practice squad
Several serious injuries occurred in the season opener for the Raiders. Today QB Marcus Mariota became the third player to land on injured reserve from injuries suffered in the game. He aggravated a quad injury that had been bothering him throughout the preseason and how will be gone at least the next eight weeks.
Mariota joins guard Denzelle Good and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy who were also placed on IR this week. Mariota was the first of the three to suffer his injury. It was on the third play of the game when Mariota came in the game at QB and Derek Carr split out wide. Mariota kept the ball on a read option and sprinted up the middle for a 31-yard gain.
It was just the kind of play Jon Gruden had been hoping to see from Mariota, adding an extra wrinkle to his offense. And it will be the last time he sees such a play from Mariota for a while.
This is the second season in a row with the Raiders that Mariota has spent the first part of season on injured reserve. Last season he wasn’t activated until week ten and didn’t see the field until week 14 when he came in for an injured Derek Carr early in their game against the Chargers.
To fill the roster spot, the Raiders signed linebacker Marquel Lee from the practice squad. Lee was a fifth round pick by the Raiders in 2017. He spent three seasons with the Raiders and was cut prior to the 2020 season and hasn’t played an NFL snap since. He spent this offseason with the Bills before being waived prior to the season and signing back with the Raiders onto the practice squad.
The team also announced that they have elevated G Lester Cotton and RB Trey Ragas from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
Raiders make series of roster moves heading into weekend
It was a busy week for the Raiders. Early in the week they had to make their roster cuts to get down to 53 players. The next day (Wednesday) they needed to see about putting together a 16-man practice squad, which they did and making a few more moves official.
With the practice squad in place, the team went about placing several players on partial season injured reserve. And with those moves, they added players to fill their vacant roster spots.
Heading to partial season IR were linebacker Nicholas Morrow (foot) and Javin White (knee), RB Jalen Richard (foot), and CB Keisean Nixon (leg).
Corresponding moves saw the return of TE Derek Carrier and S Dallin Leavitt along with the addition of OL Jermaine Eluemunor.
Eluemunor was originally a round five draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. The 6-4, 345-pounder has played at guard and tackle in his career. He has appeared in 39 games with 11 starts over his career with the Ravens and Patriots. He was most recently in camp with the Dolphins.
If you’re wondering if the math isn’t working out, you’re right. They placed four players on IR and added three. There is one spot open, officially, though reports have it filled with LB KJ Wright who was signed to a one-year deal.
In order to scrounge up the money to afford Wright, the team restructured the contract of DE Yannick Ngakoue, saving $8 million on this year’s cap.
The team made one last move on Friday and it was bringing back former 5th round LB Marquel Lee to the practice squad and releasing undrafted rookie LB Max Richardson from the practice squad.
