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It’s 13 weeks into the NFL season and the Las Vegas Raiders defense doesn’t appear to be getting any better. They’ve tried adding players like David Irving and others throughout the season but it hasn’t helped much. Now it’s looking like the defensive backfield needs help after getting hit with a number of injuries.
Due to the injuries, the team has brought back a familiar face. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders have signed Daryl Worley.
Worley also confirmed the news on his Instagram page.
Worley started 24 games for the Raiders between 2018 and 2019. He was solid at times but wasn’t consistent enough to warrant a new contract this offseason. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys and was cut after seven games. He then made his way to the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad and played one game for them. Worley hasn’t had a great year but he’s very familiar with the Raider defense and it makes sense to bring him back this late in the season.
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Worley’s Versatility Will Help Raiders
Worley has mostly played cornerback in his career but the Raiders had him play some safety last year. With Johnathan Abram banged up, there’s a likely possibility that the team plans on playing Worley at safety a bit. They’ll probably also need him to play some cornerback.
Damon Arnette has had to leave the last two games early due to concussion issues. Isaiah Johnson has also missed a good amount of playing time with injury. Worley has played a lot of snaps with this defense and should be able to get plugged right back in. The Raiders likely plan to line him up at a number of different spots on defense.
Jon Gruden Talks Worley Injury
The fact that the team is bringing in Worley likely means they aren’t supremely confident in Arnette’s health going forward. That said, Jon Gruden did make it seem like they weren’t too concerned about the rookie.
“I’m not going to create a dire situation,” Gruden said of Arnette on Monday. “I don’t know if it’s a true concussion. I think neck and shoulder injuries are part of this … It was a violent hit. A lot of guys get dazed, and I’m concerned about Damon, but I do think he’s going to be fine and I do think he’ll play again at some point. But we are not, at this point, overly concerned about his health. We’re just glad he’s OK and eager to get him back in the lineup.”
Based on those comments, it sounds like there’s a chance Arnette might not play this week. The Raiders used a first-round pick on him this season but it’s impossible to know how good he’s going to be right now because he’s barely played. He’s shown flashes of potential but the team might have to wait until next year to get a strong evaluation of him.
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