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On the eve of their matchup against the New York Jets, the Las Vegas Raiders have decided to make some move. The team announced on Saturday that they’ve promoted Vic Beasley to the active roster for Sunday’s game and also revealed that they’ve cut wide receiver Robert Davis.
Davis was signed to the practice squad earlier in the season but has been injured for most of the year. He just recently got taken off the practice squad injury list but it was apparently too late for him to get a chance. The Raiders have three other wide receivers on the practice squad so there definitely wasn’t much need for Davis.
Las Vegas was Davis’ third team but he never got a chance to see the football field for them.
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Beasley Impressing Coaches
The Beasley news is notable because anybody could tell you that the Raiders have struggled rushing the passer. He was signed prior to last week’s game after a really bad stint with the Tennessee Titans. There was a time when he looked like he was going to be one of the best pass rushers in all of football but he’s been wildly inconsistent since his second season.
Despite the lackluster stint with the Titans, the Raiders seem excited about what they have in Beasley. According to Jerry McDonald, the team has high expectations for the veteran.
Based on how he played with the Titans, the Raiders shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. However, Jon Gruden believes that he’s been able to pick up the system quickly.
“We’re going to take a good look at our options,” Gruden said Friday. “But Beasley has had a good week. He has seemed to pick up our system fast.”
Beasley had eight sacks last year so he’s still decent at getting to the quarterback. It would be unwise for the Raiders to expect him to put up big numbers right away but it doesn’t hurt to give him a shot.
Paul Guenther Praises Beasley
The Raiders have tried very hard to give defensive coordinator Paul Guenther the tools to create a pass rush. They used a top-five pick on a pass rusher in last year’s draft and gave decent money to Carl Nassib and Maliek Collins in free agency. So far, the return has been very poor. Perhaps Beasley can finally be the guy to shake things up.
“He’s got a really good first step quickness,” Guenther said of Beasley on Thursday. “He’s really smart. He’s picked up the playbook. He adds some speed to our front. He doesn’t say a lot. He’s a very coachable guy.
“So, he’s been a pleasure to add. Hopefully, we can get him up and running here in short order.”
The team seems excited about the potential Beasley has shown, which is very promising. He might have just been a bad fit in Tennessee. They’re among the worst pass-rushing teams in the NFL and that’s not entirely on Beasley. Now would be a very good time for him to rejuvenate his career as the Raiders have been desperate for a great defensive end since they traded Khalil Mack.
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