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The Las Vegas Raiders‘ linebacker corps has taken a beating this season. Divine Deablo is still on Injured Reserve, Blake Martinez retired in the middle of the season and Jayon Brown is done for the year. Denzel Perryman has been banged up and has missed three games. Luckily, he appears to be healthy right now.
The veteran linebacker made the Pro Bowl last year and continues to be an impact player for the Raiders. He’ll be a free agent in the offseason and it remains to be seen what the team will do with him. There’s been little news on that front but Perryman recently decided to post a very cryptic message. On his Instagram, he posted a photo of himself, and the caption read, “I just ask God for an opportunity, the rest is on me .. See y’all next year.” Naturally, fans were confused by the last line.
Perryman hasn’t shown up on this week’s injury report so it’s unlikely that he’s saying he’ll see “y’all” next year because he’s not playing again. Some fans pointed out that it means he landed a contract extension with the Raiders and he’s saying that he’ll be seeing fans past this season.
Perryman was a Pro Bowler last year but didn’t get selected this year. Some fans suggested that perhaps he’s talking about how he didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
It’s difficult to know for sure what the linebacker is talking about but if there’s anything notable happening, the news should drop soon.
Should Raiders Extend Perryman?
Perryman isn’t the perfect linebacker for the modern NFL. He’s even admitted that he’s not the best in pass coverage. The Raiders will frequently take him out of the game on passing downs. However, he’s a monster in the run game. He hits hard and is tied for 10th in the with 13 tackles for loss despite missing three games. He’s also the Raiders’ highest-graded linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
Considering the team has been terrible at linebacker for years, it wouldn’t be wise to let a good one go. Yes, he has issues in pass coverage but he’s still one of the few playmakers on defense. Perryman won’t command a massive contract in free agency. The Raiders should be able to retain him at a fair price. They would be wise to keep him around due to his leadership and impact on run defense.
Perryman Urges Team to Finish Season Strong
The Raiders have won four of their last five games and are still in the playoff hunt. They need a lot to happen to make the playoffs but anything can happen if the team keeps winning. The team pulled off an improbable win against the New England Patriots on Sunday but Perryman wants the team to stay focused.
“We just got to keep it going, man,” Perryman said Sunday. “At the end of the day, we just finished.”
One more loss likely kills any chance the Raiders have of making the playoffs. Winning out won’t be easy with games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs to finish up the season. If they somehow win the rest of their games and get into the playoffs, it would be one of the wildest turnarounds in NFL history.
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