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There have been a number of abrupt retirements amount the NFL lately and the Las Vegas Raiders already had one. Last week, running back Theo Riddick decided to call it a quits at the age of 30. It was a surprise for the Raiders but it was a long shot he was going to make the team.
Less than a week later, the team lost another player. The Raiders announced on Monday that linebacker James Onwualu is retiring from the NFL.
Onwualu has bounced around the NFL a bit since coming into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He joined the Raiders’ practice squad during last season and they decided to bring him back this offseason. He was even promoted to the active roster for two games but only saw snaps on special teams. It’s unclear as to why he decided to retire right now. The Raiders have a lot of young linebackers right now so he may not have seen a future where he makes the roster.
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Tanner Muse Seeing More Action
One of the more baffling draft picks the Raiders made in 2020 was selecting Tanner Muse in the third round. The team wanted the former Clemson defensive back to transition to linebacker but the plan was for him to be a special teams ace in his first year. That didn’t happen as he had a horrific training camp and had his season cut short due to injury. He has yet to see the football field.
Muse turned some heads during Tuesday’s training camp practice when he was taking first-team snaps on defense. While that was an exciting development for the young linebacker, head coach Jon Gruden made it clear that Muse still has a lot to prove.
“[Muse] hasn’t won that spot yet,” Gruden said Tuesday. “He’s getting a good look. His speed and athleticism are what we think is conducive to that position, the ‘Otto’ position. He’s doing some good things. We aren’t in enough base to really see him yet, but that will continue to emerge as the next couple weeks unfold.”
Many were ready to write Muse off after not appearing last season and disappointing in training camp. It would be a pleasant surprise if he’s able to carve out a nice role on the Raiders defense.
Nick Kwiatkoski Looking to Improve in Coverage
An area that Raiders linebackers have struggled with for years is pass coverage. The AFC West always has some of the best tight ends in the NFL and the team’s defense always struggles to stop them. Starting linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski knows that the team needs to step things up.
“The league’s changing,” Kwiatkoski said Tuesday. “You have tight ends and running backs who are all receivers now. So, being able to cover running backs, cover receivers and dropping back and being a factor in the pass game, it adds a lot to your game.”
If the Raiders hope to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs, they have to slow down Travis Kelce. Perhaps Kwiatkoski could be a guy who helps make that happen.
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