Getty Former Raiders pass rusher Bruce Irvin.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been searching for their next great pass rush duo for years and thought they’d found it when they paired Chandler Jones with Maxx Crosby this offseason. However, the duo hasn’t impressed yet. Crosby has been dominant through five games but Jones has yet to get a sack.
Before that, the team had hoped Clelin Ferrell and Crosby would form a great duo. Unless Jones starts to pick things up, the best pass rush duo Raiders have had in the past decade was Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. In 2016, Las Vegas gave Irvin a $37 million contract to convince him to leave the Seattle Seahawks. He had a couple of good years with the team. In two seasons together, Mack and Irvin combined for 36.5 sacks.
Unfortunately, those were the only two seasons the team played together as the team decided to move on from both of them. Irvin is 34 now but continues to get work. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, the veteran pass rusher is signing with the Seahawks practice squad.
Bruce Irvin is being signed to the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad, per a league source. Irvin is finalizing his paperwork and physical currently
Irvin was originally a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2012 and was part of their Super Bowl run in 2013. He had a second stint with the team in 2020 so this will be his third time joining the team. He’s only played in eight games over the past two seasons and hasn’t gotten a sack. He’s comfortable with the Seahawks so it’s a logical landing spot for him but it remains to be seen if the team has a plan for him.
Chandlers Jones Started Hot Against Chiefs
One of the big talking points surrounding the Raiders’ start to the season has been Chandler Jones. The team gave him $51 million this offseason but he has yet to notch a single sack. Early in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, it looked like Jones was destined to get his first sack. He was chasing around Patrick Mahomes early and was a major reason the Raiders got off to a great start.
However, he faded in the second half as the Chiefs’ offense moved the ball at will. The Raiders need their pass rush to start closing games. Jones is a hard worker and should be in great shape but he is fading late in games. A couple of pressures early in a game against the Chiefs aren’t going to make his massive contract worth it.
Maxx Crosby Tied for NFL Lead in Sacks
As disappointing as Jones has been, Maxx Crosby has been arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. He had 2.0 sacks against the Chiefs, which brought his season total to 6.0. He’s now tied with Matthew Judon, Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons for most in the league. Crosby was a menace last season and led the NFL in quarterback pressures but only had 8.0 sacks. Given his current pace, he should pass that number soon.
Crosby is starting to make a real case that he is deserving of Defensive Player of the Year consideration. He’s always been a good pass rusher but now he’s become elite at stopping the run. He has the sixth-highest run defense grade this season, according to Pro Football Focus. The Raiders were wise to sign him to an extension this offseason because he’d be worth a lot more had he waited until the next offseason.