Getty New Las Vegas Raiders LB Darius Harris.
The Las Vegas Raiders got some concerning news when it was revealed that linebacker Divine Deablo was not at the team’s July 31 training camp practice for undisclosed reasons, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic. It remains to be seen why or how long he’ll be out, but in the meantime, the Raiders have added to their linebacker room.
The team has signed former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Darius Harris, per a July 31 tweet from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The #Raiders are signing former #Chiefs LB Darius Harris, his agent Kevin Conner of @UniSportsMgmt confirmed. Harris, who spent four years with KC, played all 17 games last season with four starts, including one against Vegas in which he had 10 tackles and a sack.
Harris has spent his entire career in Kansas City since signing as an undrafted free agent of the team in 2019. He carved out more and more of a role each year of his career. He didn’t play as a rookie but then suited up for four games in 2020. He then played in seven games in 2021 which led to him playing all 17 games last season. He was with the team for both of their Super Bowl wins in 2019 and 2o22.
Last season was the first time that Harris played a key role on the Chiefs’ defense. He finished the year with 43 combined tackles and 1.5 sacks, which were both career bests. The Raiders didn’t make any splashy moves at linebacker this offseason so there will be an opportunity for Harris to make the team.
Patrick Graham Talks Divine Deablo’s Development
If Divine Deablo has to miss an extended amount of time due to injury, that would be a blow to the Raiders. He played safety at Virginia Tech but the team converted him to linebacker when they drafted him in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Deablo is now entering Year 3 and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has noticed his growth in the position.
“The thing as he’s learned to play the position more and more and more,” Graham said during his July 27 media availability. “And as a linebacker, it’s about being able to have some anticipation, some awareness pre-snap, that’s always key. Because they’re usually in some sort of run-pass conflict, and the better they understand that the more likely they are to make plays.
“And then we’ll see when the physicality comes into it when we get to next week with the pads and stuff. But it all starts from film study, him getting his playbook, understanding what we’re doing, and understanding the people; how the people around him are working together, leveraging the formation, leveraging coverage, and knowing where he can make plays.”
Brandon Facyson Praises Divine Deablo
One player who has been able to take a close look at how Divine Deablo has developed is Raiders cornerback Brandon Facyson. The two played together at Virginia Tech in 2016 and 2017 when Deablo was still a defensive back. He has been impressed with what he’s seen from Deablo now that they’re teammates again.
“He’s definitely gotten bigger,” Facyson said during his July 31 media availability. “He was always a big dude but definitely got bigger. He’s been phenomenal. Even from that 2021 season, him learning the defense, coming in and making plays. And then when I came back, he is still doing his thing and making plays still. I’m proud of him.”
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Raiders Sign Super Bowl-Winning Ex-Chiefs LB: Report