Heading into the Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly revealed that starting linebacker Germaine Pratt was not traveling with the team for non-injury-related issues. After the game, head coach Pete Carroll was mum on the topic, which led to speculation.
Well, it appears that there was something going on behind the scenes. During his Monday press conference, Carroll revealed that the Raiders have decided to release Pratt outright.
“We just thought it was time to go in a different direction,” Carroll said when asked why the linebacker was cut.
It’s unclear exactly what happened. Pratt did post a cryptic message on social media before Carroll announced the news.
There are many things that could’ve happened. It could be as simple as Pratt not working well with the coaching staff. Perhaps the Raiders were thinking of moving him out of the starting lineup. It’s difficult to know for sure right now, but clearly something happened that made the team feel like they could no longer work with him.
This is a blow to the defense. Pratt was the defense’s best linebacker in pass defense. That said, now that the team is 1-4, they should pivot to younger players to give them some experience.
What Will Raiders Do at LB?
It wouldn’t be a bad time for the Raiders to lean into youth, but they aren’t very young at linebacker. Rookie Cody Lindenberg is mostly a special teams player, and second-year pro Tommy Eichenberg has only taken 14 defensive snaps this season.
The Raiders may not want to commit to either of them yet. Jamal Adams was the one who took Pratt’s snaps in Week 5, and that will likely continue. While things look bleak, Carroll doesn’t seem keen on waving the white flag yet. He’ll likely lean on veterans until a little further into the year.
Devin White Talks Colts Loss
Devin White is another veteran linebacker the Raiders added this offseason, but he appears to be more bought into what Carroll is building. Following the loss, White knows the team can’t start to hang their heads.
“It comes from leadership, veteran guys, just staying locked in, attacking the process,” White said. “Not coming to work and being like it didn’t happen. Because at the end of the day, this can trickle down and it can turn into something major. Or it can be something that you don’t want to happen again, and get it fixed.”
The Raiders were terrible on third down against the Colts, as they converted eight of nine attempts before starting quarterback Daniel Jones was pulled from the game. White reiterated how important it is for the team to be better on third down.
“That’s the money down,” White said. “Whether that’s just putting it on ourselves, making a play, being more aggressive, going to go get the quarterback and speed them up, whatever we do, you know, we just got to be ready as a unit to get the job done.”
The Raiders are playing a bad Tennessee Titans team in Week 6, so it’s now or never for Las Vegas if they hope to turn the season around.
Pete Carroll Surprisingly Announces Release of Key Raiders Starter