Getty New Las Vegas Raiders DB Darren Evans.
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ secondary continues to get struck with injury. Both starting cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Nate Hobbs got banged up in Week 3 and it remains to be seen if either will be ready for Week 4. It would be a massive blow to the defense if neither of them can play as they try to get their first win of the season.
While they await the injury statuses for both cornerbacks, the Raiders have decided to add a player. The team signed rookie cornerback Darren Evans to the practice.
Raiders made it official, announcing they’ve signed Darren Evans to the practice squad, released JR Reed from the practice squad
Evans spent a portion of the offseason with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent out of LSU. What stands out most about the cornerback is his size. He’s 6-foot-3, which is quite tall for a cornerback. He played 11 games for the Tigers last season but didn’t catch any interceptions. Considering he has a lack of experience, the Raiders may not have plans to play him anytime soon despite the injuries. He’ll be an interesting piece to have on the practice squad and his athletic traits make him interesting. That said, he’s certainly a project and Las Vegas can’t trust him to be on the field against the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
Raiders Cut J.R. Reed
To make room for Evans on the practice squad, the Raiders had to cut J.R. Reed. He’s another young player at 26 but has a bit more experience than Evans. However, he’s a safety and the team doesn’t need a safety as bad as a cornerback. The decision to cut Reed could mean that Tre’von Moehrig could be returning this week.
The 2021 second-round pick is one of the team’s best young defenders but he’s been out since Week 1. Getting him back on the field could be a serious boost for a defense that has struggled the last two games.
Maxx Crosby Sends Message to Raiders Teammates
The Raiders have been failing in all three phases of the game this season. There’s no one group to place blame on. While the Raiders’ defense constantly gets criticized, it’s had some good moments this season. In the second half in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans, the group didn’t allow a single point. There are flashes that the Raiders have a good team, they just haven’t put it all together for four quarters. Defensive end Maxx Crosby is one of the team captains and had a message for his teammates.
“You’re either going to sink or swim – like, there’s no other option,” Crosby said after Sunday’s loss. “We’re going into Week Four now. There’s a lot of football left. Last year we lost, what, five out of six in the middle of the year? If we were to quit, nobody would have talked about that year. All they remember is us going to the playoffs. That’s ultimately what we play for. We want to play, but right now it’s let’s get a win. It comes down to getting a win. That’s all we’re trying to do. It’s tough, but like I said, we’ve got great guys, great coaches, great players, so we just got to keep moving forward.