The Raiders‘ struggles in the NFL Draft in recent years have been a topic of discussion but it’s an issue that goes back more than a decade. One of the worst picks the team has made was drafting linebacker Rolando McClain with the No. 8 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
McClain only lasted three seasons with the team before a series of off-the-field issues led to his release. He eventually carved out a role on the Dallas Cowboys but his off-the-field issues continued, which led to multiple suspensions. He’s been indefinitely suspended since 2019. Prior to that suspension, he served an indefinite suspension from 2016 to 2019. He’s effectively been suspended for seven years.
McClain’s suspension is finally coming to an end. According to a December 13 X post from ESPN’s Field Yates, the linebacker has been reinstated by the NFL and is free to sign with a team.
Free agent LB Rolando McClain, the 8th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, has had his indefinite suspension lifted by the NFL.
McClain was previously suspended indefinitely, spanning 2016-2019. Following a brief reinstatement, he was suspended indefinitely again in December…
McClain hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2015. He had a deal to return to the Cowboys in 2016 before a series of suspensions derailed that. The former Alabama standout had 407 combined tackles and 9.5 sacks across five seasons in his career.
Could Rolando McClain Make a Comeback?
Rolando McClain isn’t a player who has been in the news for a long time. While the Raiders drafting him looks bad in hindsight, it was a move that made sense at the time. McClain was one of the best linebackers in college football while he was at Alabama. In 2009, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year and also won the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation’s best linebacker.
He could’ve been a very good NFL player had he not had off-the-field issues. McClain is 34 now and has been away from the football field for a long time. It’s difficult to imagine that any team will have a ton of interest in him.
It’s certainly interesting that the news of him getting reinstated comes out now. Perhaps he’s putting out some feelers to see if there’s any interest. However, he’s a 34-year-old linebacker with a long track record of drama off the field. There’s not a lot of upside for a team that might have a need at linebacker. Getting reinstated is a good step for McClain but it’s unlikely that it leads to him actually playing in the NFL again.
Las Vegas Raiders Have Top-10 Defense
The Raiders certainly won’t have an interest in a player like Rolando McClain with their defense playing at a high level. The team has struggled on the defensive side of the ball for years but it looks like they’ve finally solved things.
The Raiders are allowing 19.9 points a game this season, which is the ninth-lowest in the NFL. The last time the team finished with a top-10 scoring defense was 2002. Unfortunately, the offense hasn’t been playing well. The Raiders haven’t been able to find a balance for a long time but fixing the defense is a step toward making things work.
There are still four games left but finishing with a top-10 defense would be major for Las Vegas. If the defense is fixed, the team can use a lot of resources this offseason to try to solve the quarterback issue.
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Ex-Raiders Top-10 Pick Reinstated by NFL After 4-Year Suspension