Getty Jon Gruden & Mike Mayock of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It appears the Las Vegas Raiders made a mistake by letting go of defensive tackle Daniel Ross. They released him to make room for Trent Brown but were reportedly hoping to put him on the practice squad. That plan was ruined when the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to claim Ross off of waivers.
It was a risky move by the Raiders to let him go as they now only have two true defensive tackles on the roster right now who can play. The team would be wise to bring in more help and it looks like they’re going to be looking into it. According to Aaron Wilson, the Raiders brought in veteran defensive tackle Niles Scott for a visit.
NFL visits and workouts
Scott has bounced around the NFL since signing with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He has been with four different teams, most notably with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played in six games with them in 2018 but hasn’t played since. He was most recently on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad.
ALL the latest Raiders news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Raiders newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Raiders Newsletter!
Time for Maurice Hurst to Have Breakout Game
When the Raiders signed Maliek Collins this past offseason, he was supposed to have a big year. Jon Gruden kept singing his praises and he was named a team captain. 12 games into the season and he’s done next to nothing and is currently on the injured reserve.
Maurice Hurst has been a fan favorite since coming into the league and is well regarded by the analytics community. Despite those facts, the Raiders have seemed reluctant to give him a big role. The team doesn’t have a choice now and they’ll need Hurst to play a lot of snaps. He only has half a sack this year and needs to see those numbers go up if he’s going to see his role expanded. He was able to take the quarterback down 7.5 times in his first two seasons but has struggled with injuries this year. With the playoffs on the line, it’s the perfect time for Hurst to have some big games.
Raiders Playing Elite Offensive Line This Week
Any dreams of the Raiders’ pass rush coming alive might have to wait a week. They’re welcoming the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday and they might have the best offensive line in the NFL. They’re only allowing 1.2 sacks a game this season, which is tied for second-best in the league.
Philip Rivers isn’t mobile at all but he’s mostly kept clean. That’s not likely to change this week as the Raiders are among the league’s worst when it comes to rushing the passer. Though Las Vegas probably won’t be pressuring Rivers very much, he’s still mistake-prone and was lit up by the Raiders last year. He’s on a different team now but the silver and black know Rivers extremely well after playing him twice a year for a very long time.
READ NEXT: Derek Carr on Raiders Teammate: ‘He’s the Best in the World’