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A team can never have too many offensive linemen, according to the Las Vegas Raiders. The team has brought on many this offseason and continues to make more moves. The Raiders announced on Friday that they’ve signed former Baltimore Ravens guard Parker Ehinger.
In a corresponding move, they had to waive safety Rashaan Gaulden.
Ehinger has been in the NFL since 2016 and has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals and Ravens. Despite all of those stints, he’s only actually seen the field for three of them. He’s played in eight career games, including six starts. Due to his experience, he could be a solid depth addition for the silver and black.
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Raiders Waive Gaulden
As noted previously, the Raiders have to let go of safety Rashaan Gaulden so that they could sign Ehinger. Gaulden was with the team for much of last season but only played in two games. All of his snaps were taken on special teams.
Prior to joining the Raiders, Gaulden played in 24 games for the Carolina Panthers. During that stint, he mostly played on special teams. This offseason, the Raiders brought in many young defensive backs. That made Gaulden expendable. The team has embraced their young players so he was always going to have a difficult time making the squad.
Trayvon Mullen Says Raiders Need to Fix Defensive Mistakes
Over the last several years, the Raiders have fielded one of the worst NFL defenses. They’ve tried using many high draft picks to fix the group but haven’t had any luck. During last season, Las Vegas fired defensive coordinator Paul Guenther due to the defense’s continued decline.
Former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is taking over the Raiders’ defense and he has a strong track record. What has to excite the team is Bradley’s track record of developing young talent. He’s coached many Pro Bowlers in his day.
However, there’s only so much the coach can do. At the end of the day, the players need to step up. One guy who has shown flashes is cornerback Trayvon Mullen. He’s one of the few Raiders defensive draft picks that looks solid in hindsight. The team is in the midst of OTAs right now and Mullen had the chance to talk about what the defense needs to do better.
“As a defensive group, we’re all coming together step by step,” Mullen said Wednesday. “Even with mistakes, we gotta fix them, but it’s a new system so those things are going to happen. But I believe if we just continue to stay together, be with each other, play as a unit and continue to grow, then we’ll be fine. I’m happy with the guys that we have here. I feel like we’re going to grow and be something special.”
The Raiders offense is already a strong unit. If the defense can at least be average, it’s possible the team can get back to the playoffs.
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