Getty Oakland Raiders HC Jon Gruden.
The youth movement continues for the Oakland Raiders as they’ve brought on another young player to the practice squad. The newest member is defensive end Ade Aruna. There were reports of the team trying out the 25-year old last week and it looks like they saw something they liked.
The Nigerian born defender has yet to play in a regular-season game in the NFL. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed the entirety of the 2018 season thanks to an injury he suffered in the preseason and didn’t make it past final roster cuts after the 2019 training camp.
The 6’5 defensive end ran a 4.6 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s clearly got the athleticism, he just needs to figure out the skill to succeed in the NFL. The Raiders didn’t need to cut any players because they never replaced Lester Cotton Sr. when he was promoted to the active roster before Week 16.
Raiders Practice Squad
Ade Aruna- DE
Jordan Brown – DB
James Butler – RB
Paul Bulter – TE
Te’von Coney – LB
Kendall Donnerson – DE
Kyle Kalis – OL
Erik Magnuson – C
De’Mornay Pierson-El – WR
Anthony Ratliff-Williams – WR
With the addition of Aruna, that brings 10 healthy players to the Raiders’ practice squad. Defensive back Dylan Maybin is also part of the practice squad, but he’s currently injured. Week 17 is almost here, so it’s highly unlikely that any of the above players hit the field for a game this season. Oakland has been dealing with quite a few injuries this season, so there remains a possibility that any one of these players could play versus the Denver Broncos.
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Raiders Stacking Young Players
Even with the playoffs remaining a possibility for Oakland, the team has avoided bringing in veteran talent during the season, for the most part. They did sign D.J. Swearinger and Preston Brown for a brief time, but neither lasted very long. Dion Jordan is one late-season addition who has a real shot to make the team. Despite the fact that he’ll be 30 when the team heads to Las Vegas, Jon Gruden thinks he’s shown enough to potentially earn a roster spot for 2020.
“He’s playing his way into being a Las Vegas Raider, no doubt,” said Gruden earlier this season. “I’m impressed with him. You know, he’s come in here and not only made some plays, he’s brought in a sense of professionalism and experience and much like Darren Waller, he’s had some tough moments in his life… He’s been a real, I think, good role model for our young team and we like Jordan. He’s playing pretty good for us.”
Other than Jordan, the Raiders seem keen on going into the offseason with a very young roster. The two most recent signings by the team were Ukeme Eligwe and Jeremiah Valoaga. Both men are only 25 years old. Oakland had the oldest team in the NFL during 2018, but that hasn’t been the case in 2019. This team relies heavily on rookies and young players. That seems like it will also be the theme in 2020.
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