Tag: Raiders

Veteran running back refused to sign with the Chiefs during free agency: ‘No way I was going there’

Josh Jacobs refused to sign with the Kansas City #Chiefs during free agency: ‘No way I was going there’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs are back-to-back Super Bowl champions seeking an unprecedented three-peat. Players would ideally want to join the team, but old rivalries are too much to ignore.

Former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs told Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com his strong reason for avoiding the Chiefs in free agency.

“They were trying to get me hard, but there was no way I was going there. I feel like once you are rivals with somebody, you have a genuine hate for them,” said Jacobs. “I couldn’t see myself in that color. And besides, I never wanted to be the guy that joined the dominant team. I want to be the guy that beats the dominant team.”

During his five seasons with the Raiders, the former Alabama standout accumulated 5,545 yards on the ground and 46 rushing touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler led the NFL in rushing in 2022, earning first-team All-Pro honors. Jacobs decided to sign with the Green Bay Packers because he couldn’t see past the many battles against Kansas City to join them potentially.

Chargers announce uniform schedule for the 2024 season

Find out when the Chargers will be donning each uniform during the upcoming season.

The Chargers announced the uniform schedule for the 2024 season on Thursday.

Here’s a look at when the Bolts will wear each uniform:

Week 1 vs. Raiders: Powder Blue

Week 2 @ Panthers: Powder Blue

Week 3 @ Steelers: White

Week 4 vs. Chiefs: Powder Blue

Week 5: BYE

Week 6 @ Broncos: White

Week 7 @ Cardinals: White

Week 8: vs. Saints: Powder Blue

Week 9 @ Browns: White

Week 10 vs. Titans: Powder Blue

Week 11 vs. Bengals: Powder Blue

Week 12 vs. Ravens: Navy

Week 13 @ Falcons: White

Week 14 @ Chiefs: White

Week 15 vs. Buccaneers: Powder Blue

Week 16 vs. Broncos: Powder Blue

Week 17 @ Patriots: White

Week 18 @ Raiders: White

Saints’ 95-yard scoring drive was their longest possession since 2016

The Saints’ 95-yard scoring drive was their longest possession since 2016. The starting offense found some momentum in this preseason game:

The New Orleans Saints had a solid performance in their first preseason matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, winning by a score of 16-14. To build on that momentum, they showed promise in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers, putting together a 95-yard touchdown drive which ended with a Taysom Hill dive into the endzone on fourth down.

This drive wound up being the longest for the Saints since 2016, when Brandin Cooks had a 98-yard receiving touchdown — coincidentally against Derek Carr and the then-Oakland Raiders.

New Orleans has shown some impressively long drives this preseason, including a 70-yard drive against the Cardinals facilitated by Spencer Rattler, which led to the Saints’ only touchdown last week.

But they leveled up against San Francisco. With the starters in, the drive really kickstarted on three straight plays inside 49ers territory, which included a 19-yard reception by Chris Olave, an 11-yard rush by Taysom Hill, and a 15-yard rush by Jamaal Williams. Ultimately the Saints ended up hitting paydirt, and looking impressive on the offensive side of the ball with most of the starters on the field for that drive was very encouraging.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Raiders Pierce to sleep on decision for QB1 after Cowboys Match

#Raiders QBs Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell both went out last night against the Cowboys to make their bids for the starting spot, Antonio Pierce must decide between the two and says decision is on the way.

The Las Vegas Raiders have completed two exhibitions this preseason and head coach Antonio Pierce has more snaps to review in his choice of who will start under center this season after the recent 27-12 loss versus the Dallas Cowboys.

Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell both went out last night to make their bids for the spot. Minshew is notable for having taken over for an injured Nick Foles playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars his rookie year and carrying the team while their starting QB was out. O’Connell is returning to the Raiders for his second year, after being pushed up to the starting slot midseason as a rookie, and Minshew was likely added this season to provide Las Vegas an alternative to the young but talented QB.

In last night’s tilt against the Cowboys, Minshew went out first and had a tough time but managed to gain some yards. After the switch out in the second quarter, O’Connell had a fairly similar performance. Both QBs made a couple of highlight plays but found difficulty scoring on drives.

After the Cowboys match, Pierce stated in the press conference, “Yeah, we’ve seen enough reps. Two games, like we talked about. Our guys are not playing in the third preseason game, our starters, so we’ll sleep on it and make a decision in the next couple days.”

Questionable status for Cowboys Mazi Smith ahead of match v. Raiders

The Cowboys have officially stated Smith experienced an allergic reaction while at training camp and was treated rather than making the journey for Saturday night’s preseason matchup.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith could not travel with the team hitting the road to challenge the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Cowboys have officially stated Smith experienced an allergic reaction while at training camp and was treated rather than making the journey for Saturday night’s preseason matchup.

His status will be reevaluated in the morning and Smith is still expected to play against the Raiders unless not cleared to go out.

Mike Garafolo shared the team’s statement regarding Mazi Smith’s health scare.

Smith did not get a lot of playtime in his rookie season with the Cowboys last year so he needs all the preseason experience he can get while developing into his role as a starter for Dallas’ defense. If Smith is unavailable to play versus the Raiders, the Cowboys will be forced to use rookies Justin Rogers and Denzel Daxon in place of their first-string defensive tackle.

Justin Simmons only intercepted Derek Carr once in 12 games

Justin Simmons only intercepted Saints QB Derek Carr once in a dozen games. He’s looking to improve that total after signing with the Falcons:

Derek Carr and Justin Simmons played against each other a dozen times when they were the faces of two proud AFC West franchises — and Carr’s  Las Vegas Raiders led the series with a 9-3 record in that time. But now they’re set to compete again in the NFC South, with Simmons having signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons and Carr leading the New Orleans Saints.

A lot can happen in 12 games. Carr threw 355 passes during that span with Simmons lined up against him. As a two-time Pro Bowler with 30 career interceptions, it’s worth asking how many times Simmons picked off Carr. What would be your guess? Two? Four? Eight? More?

It turns out that Simmons only intercepted Carr once in this rivalry series. And you’ve got to see the play to believe it happened:

That was a deflection off the hands of tight end Darren Waller, which Simmons was in position to snatch away. But it shouldn’t be that surprising. Carr has faced a lot of criticism — deservedly — for his first year with the Saints. One thing he’s always done well is protect the football. Carr has never thrown more than 14 interceptions in a single season, and he was picked off just eight times last year. It makes sense that he’d avoid dangerous throws in  twice-a-year division rivalry games.

But his historical success against Simmons and the Broncos is a little encouraging. Carr averaged 254.9 passing yards per game against Simmons’ defenses over the years. That’s an improvement on his averages both with the Raiders (248.0) and the Saints (228.1). Simmons is a player he knows well, and matching up against that old foe could lead to some favorable situations for No. 4. We’ll see.

Some would say it’s disingenuous of us to downplay Atlanta acquiring Simmons, a player we’ve consistently lobbied for New Orleans to sign and who visited the Saints before joining the Falcons. And to that criticism, we’d take refuge in audacity and shamelessly pump up the Saints-Falcons rivalry. Simmons might have been the missing piece Dennis Allen’s defense needed to play winning football. Instead, the Falcons are overpaying a past-his-prime player at a less-valuable position who won’t solve their problems. It’s a waste of their resources, but we’ll see how it plays out for them. Maybe they’ll only give up 84 points in their next two games instead of 85 like in their last two losses. Never break kayfabe.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Justin Simmons visiting Falcons after meeting with Saints

Justin Simmons left his meeting with the Saints in Southern California and traveled to visit the Falcons, who have the least salary cap space in the NFL:

Justin Simmons might be coming to the NFC South after all. The thing is, he might not be doing it with the New Orleans Saints. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Simmons left his meeting with the Saints in Southern California last week and traveled to visit the Atlanta Falcons, their bitterest rivals.

The Falcons have the least salary cap space in the NFL (a little more than $3.5 million, per Over The Cap’s estimate), so this might be more about the fit than the money. For reference, the Saints have more than $10 million to spend after extending Pete Werner’s contract last week.

If Simmons wasn’t impressed by the playing time the Saints offered him he could be in line for more opportunities in Atlanta, but it’s tough to believe the Saints would go through all this trouble to wine and dine him and then start Johnathan Abram or Jordan Howden instead.

So we’ll see how this develops. Simmons remains the best free agent still on the board and he’d be a nice upgrade for New Orleans, giving them one of  the better ball-hawking duos around the league with Tyrann Mathieu. But if he does go to Atlanta, it’s worth noting that Simmons intercepted Derek Carr  just once in a dozen rivalry games between his Denver Broncos and Carr’s Raiders — and it happened on a tipped pass.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Countdown to Kickoff: Roderic Teamer is Saints Player of Day 30

Looking into safety Roderic Teamer, who wears the No. 30 jersey, with just 30 days ahead of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 season kickoff:

The countdown to kickoff for the Saints’ 2024 regular season continues, now just 30 days out from the official opener. And, in recognition of that, we’re taking the time to highlight former Tulane defensive back Roderic Teamer. He currently wears the No. 30 jersey.

Here’s everything to know about the safety who took the field in college for the Green Wave, now continuing his professional career in the same city of New Orleans:

  • Name (Age): Roderic Teamer (27)
  • Position: Safety
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-0, 205 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 3.66
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $985,000
  • College: Tulane
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2019 (Los Angeles Chargers)
  • NFL experience: 5th season

Teamer went unselected in the 2019 NFL Draft, signed by the Los Angeles Chargers on April 27, 2019. He made his NFL debut on September 22, 2019 against the Houston Texans, recording seven tackles at the strong safety position.

He lasted just one season with the team, though, amassing 40 combined tackles (30 solo), two passes defended, one sack and an interception over six games.

Teamer has been something of a journeyman since then, making stops in with the Indianapolis Colts (2021) and the Las Vegas Raiders (2021-2023) before making his way to the Saints, who signed him on June 20.

He was waived by the Raiders, the team he was most recently with, on Nov. 27. This came just days after he was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and speeding on Nov. 25.

Teamer rejoins several of his former Raiders teammates with the move to New Orleans, including quarterback Derek Carr as well as tight end Foster Moreau, safety Johnathan Abram, defensive tackle Kendal Vickers, and offensive tackle Justin Herron, who is on injured reserve.

Over his career to this point, Teamer has totaled 103 tackles (72 solo), 3 passes defended, 1 sack and 1 interception over 40 games played.

It will be interesting to see what type of role he carves out with the Saints in his first season returning to the same state where it all started for him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Johnathan Abram happy for reunion with his Mississippi State teammates

Johnathan Abram, J.T. Gray and Willie Gay were teammates at Mississippi State back in 2017. They have now reunited seven years later with the Saints:

Johnathan Abram’s head is full of ringing cowbells. Or at least the memory of them when he’s around teammates Willie Gay and J.T. Gray, who all took the field together back in 2017. They took significantly different routes to join the New Orleans Saints, but they all started out at Mississippi State before jumping to the NFL.

Gray joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and has been a Saint ever since, earning several postseason honors for his work on special teams. Abram and Gay made their way to New Orleans after being drafted by other NFL teams, Abram last season and Gay this offseason. They were actually division rivals on the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs for a time.

Their collegiate careers overlapped for just year. Gray was a senior when Abram and Gay arrived on campus in 2017. The latter two played one more year together before Abram went to the league, and Gay followed after.

In the words of Peaches and Herb, “reunited and it feels so good.”

Abram spoke about that bond after Wednesday’s practice session before Thursday’s off day. He reflected on each of his younger teammates and answered a question about the collegiate connection by acknowledging that “Bulldogs like to stick together.” Abram and Gray have gone bowling together, competing against the team’s wide receivers, and it’s clear the trio has a good relationship.

They like to “reminisce on how things used to be at MSU and how they’ve changed.” Abram described them as lifelong friends and the opportunity to play together again as a surreal blessing. That kind of staying power and camaraderie is rare in the NFL, and guys who have bounced around a couple of different teams don’t take it for granted.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

After series of injuries, Saints bring back a familiar face at wide receiver

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Marquez Callaway amid a series of injuries at wide receiver. He’s back for his third stint with the team:

The New Orleans Saints announced a couple of roster moves on Thursday, most notably that they had re-signed Marquez Callaway. His return comes amid a series of injuries at wide receiver. Veteran wideouts Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown as well as rookie draft pick Bub Means missed Wednesday’s practice after getting banged up. The Saints needed to restock.

And so Callaway is back for his third stint with the team, his first try in Klint Kubiak’s offense. The Saints chose to let him reach free agency after his practice squad contract expired back in January, and he initially signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they let him go on Tuesday.

Callaway first joined the Saints as a rookie free agent out of Tennessee, helping out in the return game and playing a bit part on offense in 2020. He broke out with 46 catches for 698 yards in 2021, scoring six touchdown receptions, but he hasn’t returned to those heights. In the meantime he’s followed Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos and tried out in Pittsburgh (as well as with the Las Vegas Raiders last summer).

The Saints also waived backup tight end Tommy Hudson with an injury designation to make room for Callaway. He’s likely headed for injured reserve should he clear waivers. Juwan Johnson, the starter, is still on the physically unable to perform list leaving Foster Moreau and Dallin Holker to handle most of the snaps in passing drills.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]