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It’s been a rough week for the Las Vegas Raiders. On Thursday, the team placed Pro Bowlers Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller on the Injured Reserve and both will be out for at least four weeks. They also had to place linebacker Divine Deablo on Injured Reserve.
The Raiders were getting thin at linebacker and Blake Martinez was expected to take over Deablo’s starting spot. However, the veteran linebacker decided to abruptly retire. This leaves the team incredibly lean at linebacker right now. Luckily, the Raiders were about to add an experienced linebacker who knows Patrick Graham’s defense. The team announced that they’ve signed Reggie Ragland to the practice squad while elevating Curtis Bolton from the practice squad to the active roster.
The Raiders brought Ragland in for a workout earlier in the year but didn’t end up signing him. He’s a logical replacement for Martinez as he played under Graham with the New York Giants last season. He was teammates with Martinez and should understand the defense well. Ragland was a stud at Alabama which led to him being a second-round pick coming into the NFL in 2016. He hasn’t quite reached the same heights he did at Alabama but he’s started 47 games in his career and won a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He’s a good player for the Raiders to pick up right now. He’s only on the practice squad but could be elevated to the active roster very quickly.
Raiders Sign Jacob Hollister off Vikings
The Raiders have shorthanded at tight end with Waller missing the last three games but the team didn’t make a move because it was thought he’d be able to return soon. Now that he’s on the Injured Reserve, the team had to address the position. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Raiders are signing Jacob Hollister off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.
This signing makes a lot of sense for Las Vegas. Hollister spent much of the offseason with the team and spent two years under McDaniels with the New England Patriots previously. He should have a strong understanding of the offense and will be easy to plug in. Foster Moreau is going to be the top tight end for the next four weeks but Hollister will provide solid depth. He has 83 career catches so he can help in the passing game if the Raiders need him to.
What’s Going on With the Raiders?
When it rains it pours for the Raiders. Coming off of their third blown 17-0 lead of the season, this hasn’t been a good week for the team. Three starters have been sent to the Injured Reserve and a key linebacker abruptly retired. It’s clear that the team doesn’t have much confidence in their ability to turn the season around.
At 2-6, the season isn’t quite over yet. The team hasn’t even played half of their games yet. The AFC has been sloppy this season so it’s possible that a team with nine wins could get into the playoffs. At this point, it doesn’t seem like the Raiders are interested in trying to go for that. Now, McDaniels needs to win more than five games or he could be on the hot seat. That’ll be much more difficult with the injuries the team is dealing with.
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