Getty Las Vegas Raiders RB Theo Riddick.
After a bad week for the Las Vegas Raiders running game in Week 7, they had their best game of the season against the Cleveland Browns. While the team has been hit with injuries all over the roster, the running backs have been able to stay pretty healthy. However, that hasn’t stopped the team from adding some help to the group.
The Raiders announced that they’ve signed Theo Riddick from the practice squad.
Riddick has been on the practice squad all season and has been promoted to the active roster before. This is different though as he’s been signed. This means he’ll be on the roster until they cut him. It’s an interesting decision to sign him considering Josh Jacobs, Devontae Booker and Jalen Richard have been playing well. The Raiders certainly don’t have a need at running back.
The decision to sign him to the roster could be because another team was trying to poach him. Regardless, Riddick is a solid veteran but it’s hard to know if he’ll have a role on the offense. His style is very similar to Richard’s and there’s no reason to believe that he’s fallen out of favor with the team.
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Trent Brown Back on COVID-19 List
Unfortunately for the Raiders, Riddick doesn’t play right tackle. The team announced on Thursday that Trent Brown is heading back to the COVID-19 list. This was very surprising considering he just recently came off the list. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the reason he was put back on the list is because he’s still dealing with complications.
This is more bad news for Brown who has had a very tough season. He finally came off the COVID-19 list last week and was supposed to return but a medical incident required him to be hospitalized. He’s only been able to play through one full game this season. It’s unfortunate because these things are out of his control. When Brown is on the field, he might be the best right tackle in the NFL. This is another setback for the Pro Bowler and it’s likely starting to get very frustrating for Brown and the team. It remains to be seen when he might return.
Damon Arnette Returns to Practice
It wasn’t all bad news for the Raiders as rookie first-round pick Damon Arnette has returned to practice. The cornerback has a stint on the injured reserve after having to get wrist surgery. Now that he’s back at practice, it’s very possible he returns on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
That would be a boost for a struggling Raiders pass defense. Arnette wasn’t perfect before he was hurt but he’s still an upgrade over what the team has. Also, the only way he’s going to get better is if he plays. If Arnette can become a reliable number two cornerback, the Raiders should be set with the position for the next several years.
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