Getty Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden.
It’s starting to sound like a broken record, but the Oakland Raiders need help at linebacker. It was true a decade ago and it’s true now. With Marquel Lee and Justin Phillips out for the year with injuries, and Vontaze Burfict gone due to a suspension, the team will be looking to add another linebacker to the squad before their matchup with the Detriot Lions in Week 9.
According to linebacker Will Compton himself, Oakland is bringing him in for a workout.
Was gonna wait to see what happens with the workout before posting, but who cares. Y’all are on this ride w me
I’ll keep you posted 🍻
Jon Gruden loves his grinders, so Compton wearing the shirt would probably work in his benefit. The seventh-year linebacker came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent but has put together a pretty long career. He spent five years with the Washington Redskins and started in 33 games for them. He went on to play for the Tennessee Titans last season and started in two games. He was most recently on the New Orleans Saints, but an injury derailed his time there and he’s yet to play in 2019.
Compton has accumulated 286 combined tackles in his career and has caused six turnovers. He has a lot of experience and could find a role in the Raider defense if they decide to bring him on.
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Will Raiders Make Additional Signing?
The trade deadline has come and gone with the Raiders opting not to make any major splash in the form of a blockbuster deal. Potential additions like Jalen Ramsey or Leonard Williams are long gone and there weren’t a ton of strong options for the team on the market. The loss to the Houston Texans probably hurt the chances of the team making a trade. After two straight losses, Oakland has gone from intriguing playoff contender with a chance to win the AFC West to potential wild card team that still needs a year before they’re ready to be a real threat.
The team has a general manager who was a draft analyst for years, so he’s not going to be too excited about moving on from draft picks. A win in Houston would’ve meant that the Raiders could actually make some noise this year, so a trade for top talent would’ve made more sense. Oakland should exercise patience and hold onto their picks. They will still have a chance at the playoffs with their long road trip over.
The Raiders Offense Will Have to Carry the Team in 2019
It’s clear through seven games that the Raiders defense is lacking. They have shown a complete inability to slow down top quarterbacks. Even though the unit seems to have made little improvement over last year, the team could still make a playoff push in spite of the defense. In 2018, Jon Gruden’s offense looked dated and unimaginative. It looks like he just needed to shake a little rust off as the offense has been excellent in 2019.
The additions of Trent Brown and Josh Jacobs have obviously started to pay huge dividends as the Raider offense is one of the best in the NFL. And they’re doing it without a true number one wide receiver. The only problem is that they make a few bad mistakes every game. Against the Chicago Bears, there was a fumble on a bad pitch that led to an opposing touchdown. In the game versus the Green Bay Packers, Derek Carr had two costly turnovers. Versus Houston, Tyrell Williams dropped two very important passes that could’ve changed the outcome of the game. If they can start mitigating the mistakes, the Oakland offense could be lethal.
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