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The Las Vegas Raiders have made their linebackers coach their interim head coach with the promotion of Antonio Pierce. He’s not going to waste any time shoring up the position group that’s been dealing with injuries all season
According to a November 2 X post from Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman, the Raiders have signed veteran linebacker Jaylon Smith.
Raider Nation @thejaylonsmith let’s get it! @Raiders #teamwass @NDFootball
This will mark the first big move of the Champ Kelly era, who was promoted to interim general manager to replace Dave Ziegler. Smith was previously on the practice squad for the New Orleans Saints so the Raiders are bringing him on to the active roster.
It’s been a tough few years for Smith. Back in 2019, he was a Pro Bowler for the Dallas Cowboys and was rewarded with a big contract. Since then, he’s dealt with injuries and bounced around the league. Notably, he spent the 2021 season with the New York Giants where he played under Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. He should be familiar with the coach’s system.
The Raiders played the Giants in Week 9 so Smith will be facing his former team if he ends up playing. Though Smith is no longer a star linebacker, he’s still just 28 and has made 69 career starts. At the very least, he is a healthy veteran the Raiders can rely on while they wait for some other players to get healthy.
Las Vegas Raiders Add 2 Other LBs
Antonio Pierce was a linebacker when he played so he’s not going to take any chances. He knows the Raiders’ linebacker group better than anybody and wants more depth. The Raiders announced on November 1 that they’ve signed Austin Ajiake and Isaac Darkangelo to the practice squad.
We have signed LB Austin Ajiake and LB Isaac Darkangelo to the practice squad.
Both Ajiake and Darkangelo are rookies who have yet to play in an NFL game. The latter was with the Raiders for part of the offseason but couldn’t make the active roster. Ajiake was with the Denver Broncos for training camp before getting let go. He played at UNLV so he has ties to Las Vegas.
Considering neither of them has ever played in an NFL game, it wouldn’t be ideal to have them take reps on the defense but the Raiders may be desperate.
Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo & Luke Masterson Miss Practice
According to the Raiders’ November 1 injury report, linebackers Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson all missed practice with injuries. Spillane and Deablo were the Week 1 starters so both having either of them would be a blow to the defense.
The only other linebackers on the active roster outside of Jaylon Smith are rookie Amari Burney and Curtis Bolton, who just got off the Injured Reserve. Spillane has been coming on strong for the Raiders in recent weeks. He has 65 combined tackles, two interceptions and a sack. Losing him could be tough for a struggling defense to overcome.
Smith was a wise addition as he knows Patrick Graham’s system and should be ready to play quickly. None of the aforementioned linebackers are on the Injured Reserve right now so there remains a chance they could play soon. However, the Raiders need to keep shoring up the position until the group can get healthier.
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Raiders Poach Former Pro Bowl LB From Saints in Champ Kelly’s First Move