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The Las Vegas Raiders just signed linebacker Darius Harris, but it appears they aren’t done adding linebackers quite yet. The team has decided to bring in former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith for a visit, per an August 2 tweet from NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Smith is best known for his stint with the Cowboys from 2016 to 2021 where he was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019. In 2019, he earned a six-year contract extension from the team worth $68.4 million. However, he was never able to live up to the contract. Following the 2020 season where he started all 16 games for the Cowboys, he only played four more games with the team before getting released during the 2021 season.
During the 2021 season, he landed with the New York Giants where he was able to play four games under current Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who held the same position in New York at the time. Though they only played together for a short time, there is some familiarity there. Graham left for Las Vegas last year but Smith stuck around with the Giants and started 11 games for a team that made the playoffs.
While the veteran linebacker would bring experience and leadership to a young group, the Raiders were mostly doing their “due diligence” by having him visit, per an August 2 tweet from Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Luke Masterson Still Fighting for Roster Spot
One of the pleasant surprises for the Raiders last year was an undrafted free agent signing Luke Masterson. The linebacker out of Wake Forest not only surprised by making the active roster in Week 1, but he also played in all 17 games, starting seven of them.
However, as the Raiders add more linebackers, it will become increasingly difficult for him to keep a roster spot. He’s approaching training camp as if his job is on the line.
“Honestly, I’m trying to approach it the same way,” Masterson said in his August 1 media availability. “I’m trying to approach it like I’m still fighting for a job because I am. Everyone’s fighting for a job out here. I come every day with that mindset and I’m trying to treat it the same way.”
The fact that he has a year in Patrick Graham’s system under his belt and played important snaps for the Raiders last season, he’ll certainly have an edge over other linebackers on the roster bubble.
Luke Masterson Assesses Rookie Season
While Luke Masterson overperformed in his rookie season, there’s still a lot of room for growth. He didn’t register a single sack or force one turnover all year. Out of 81 linebackers, Masterson ranked 78 in Pro Football Focus‘ final player grades for the year.
He knows he didn’t have the biggest rookie season and is working hard to improve heading into 2023.
“A lot of ups and downs. I would say there were some good games, some bad games,” Masterson said. “I just tried to learn every week from my mistakes and try and get better every play. I’m definitely trying to take that next step this year, learn from my mistakes last year. I have some core things that I’m trying to work on and get better at.”
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