Getty Las Vegas Raiders WR Albert Wilson.
The Las Vegas Raiders head into the bye week with a 1-4 record. Not many would’ve predicted the team to be this bad over a quarter into the season so it’s likely good that they get some time off. However, they may not have star wide receiver Davante Adams when they start playing games again.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL is considering suspending Adams for shoving a worker after the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday. With the team on a bye week, the league could take its time deciding on a punishment. In the meantime, the team is preparing as if they could be down a wide receiver. The Raiders announced they’ve signed Albert Wilson to the active roster.
We have signed WR Albert Wilson to the active roster from the practice squad.
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Wilson was signed to the practice squad last week but didn’t play against the Chiefs on Monday. The veteran wide receiver is in his eighth year in the NFL after stints with Kansas City and the Miami Dolphins. He’s played in 89 career games and gives the Raiders a veteran option in case Adams has to miss time. Last season with the Dolphins, Wilson had 25 catches for 213 yards.
Raiders Bring Back Tyron Johnson on Practice Squad
Adding Wilson to the active roster wasn’t the only move the team made at wide receiver. Las Vegas also signed Tyron Johnson to the practice squad. Johnson was on the Raiders’ active roster to start the season but was recently released. The team really likes him but hasn’t made a catch this season.
Luckily, no other team signed him so the Raiders were able to sign him to the practice squad. What’s appealing about Johnson is his speed. He ran a 4.36 40-yard dash when he was coming into the NFL. He’s also got good size for his speed at 6-foot-1. Despite having great athletic traits, he hasn’t been able to make an impact in Las Vegas. Perhaps that could change if Adams gets suspended and the Raiders need to promote him to the active roster.
Raiders Need to Close out Games
Not many could’ve predicted the Raiders’ season to start off this poorly. In reality, the team’s record shouldn’t be 1-4. All four losses have come by a combined 14 points. The Raiders are a few plays away by 5-0. Last year, the team won these kinds of games but that success hasn’t carried over. Head coach Josh McDaniels spoke about the team closing out games after the one-point loss to the Chiefs.
“I think it’s becoming more clear to them,” McDaniels said Tuesday of what it takes to close games. “I think experience and actually getting it done under pressure gives you confidence that you can do it again. And we did some of those things a week ago against Denver and we had our chances yesterday. Nobody can sit here and say we didn’t have opportunities last night; that’s not a true statement.
“I don’t think anybody here is discouraged about the fact that we’re not close. I think now it’s about what do we need to do in practice? What do we need to do to carry it over to the games to be able to really make the plays that are winning plays at the end so that we have an opportunity to close out a lot of these close games? Because that’s what the NFL is: It’s a lot of close games every week.”