Getty Ex-Raiders DB Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
This season, the Las Vegas Raiders have relied heavily on youth at safety. Johnathan Abram and Trevon Moehrig have taken the majority of snaps at safety and both are 25 or younger. The results have been mostly positive as Moehrig continues to develop into a good young safety and Abram does well in the run game.
Early in the season, the team signed veteran safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to the practice squad for depth purposes. He appeared in two games this season, all of his snaps coming on special teams. The Raiders needed linebacker depth so they signed Will Compton to the practice squad. To make room for him, the team announced that they had to cut Clinton-Dix.
We have signed LB Will Compton to the practice squad.
We have released S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from the practice squad.
Clinton-Dix was a former first-round pick and Pro Bowler with the Green Bay Packers but he’s had trouble earning a consistent roster spot. He’s been on five different teams since 2018. With only a handful of games left this season, it could be difficult for Clinton-Dix to land on another roster unless the Raiders end up needing to bring him back.
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Trayvon Mullen Nearing Return
GettyLas Vegas Raiders CB Trayvon Mullen.
While the Raiders linebacker corps deals with a number of injuries, the secondary is starting to get healthy. Starting cornerback Trayvon Mullen has been out since Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He returned to practice last week and is starting to see more work this week. He’s the team’s second-best cornerback behind Casey Hayward so they’d love to have him back.
With a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes coming up on Sunday, it will help the Raiders to have Mullen on the field. Hayward has been consistently excellent all season but other cornerbacks have had trouble stepping up on a consistent basis. Brandon Facyson allowed six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs earlier in the season. He’s been solid at times this season but the Raiders would much rather have Mullen on the field. Luckily, it looks like there’s a good chance that he’s ready to start playing again.
Raiders Running out of Chances
Many are ready to give up on the Raiders season as they’ve lost four of their last five games, dropping their record to 6-6. However, the team is still very much alive in the AFC playoff race. All three of the AFC’s Wild Card teams only have one game leads over the Raiders right now.
It may feel like it’s time to pack it in on the season for Las Vegas due to how they’ve been playing but it’s not too late to turn around the season yet. A win over the Chiefs on Sunday would be a big step in the right direction. It’s impossible to know if the team can pull it off considering how inconsistent they’ve been. An 11-6 record is still on the table and that would almost certainly be enough to get them in the playoffs. Sunday could be the Raiders’ last chance to turn the season around.
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