Getty Las Vegas Raiders LB Javin White.
The offseason just started for the Las Vegas Raiders but they are ready to hit the ground running in order to prepare for next season. The most important thing the team needs to do this offseason is to find a good defensive coordinator but they also need to find the right players. Due to COVID-19, the practice squad had significant importance for teams across the NFL this season.
The Raiders had to pull players from their practice squad to play in games a number of times. With the season over, all of the practice squad players are set to be free agents. While the Raiders aren’t able to sign all of them right now, they did announce the players they decided to stick with.
We have signed 11 players to Reserve/Future contracts » t.co/wa3U3TvLuL
The Raiders signed the following 11 players to Reserve/Future contracts:
- Nick Bowers, TE
- Dominik Eberle, K
- Rashaan Gaulden, DB
- Gerri Green, DE
- Jaryd Jones-Smith, OL
- Erik Magnuson, OL
- James Onwualu, LB
- Niles Scott, DT
- Kamaal Seymour, OL
- Kemah Siverand, CB
- Javin White, LB
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Any of the Signees Notable?
Out of the 11 players brought back, none of them saw significant time on the active roster. Magnuson was the only guy who spent time with the Raiders in 2019 while Bowers, Eberle, Seymour and White were all rookies.
White, the former linebacker and safety for UNLV, is the most intriguing of the players the Raiders signed. He was very impressive for the team in training camp and has a unique connection to the Raiders considering he’s from Oakland and played college ball in Las Vegas. White was active in four games this season as the team had a lot of issues at linebacker. Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow all spent missed time due to injury and/or COVID-19. There were definitely a number of opportunities for White to earn a permanent spot on the active roster but never seized it. He’s only 23-years-old so there’s plenty of time for him to develop into a good player. Considering the Raiders’ struggles at linebacker over the last decade, they’d be really happy if White turned into a steal.
Will David Irving Get Another Shot?
Defensive end David Irving is an established player so he’s not going to sign a Reserve/Future contract. That said, he could get another chance with the Raiders next season. The former Dallas Cowboys pass rusher was signed by Las Vegas during the season in hopes that he could bolster the team’s anemic pass rush.
Irving has a strong relationship with Rod Marinelli so it supposed to be a good fit. However, he was banged for most of his stint with the Raiders and only saw the field in two games. He didn’t get a sack or a quarterback hit in either of those games. Irving was out of football for almost two years when the Raiders signed him. He’s 27-years-old so he should be entering his athletic prime. Though he didn’t do much to impress the Raiders in 2020, he had eight sacks in his last 10 games for the Cowboys. The team should give him a shot this offseason to see if he can return to form.
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