The Las Vegas Raiders have already had a rough time with injuries all season but things are only getting worse. The team lost starting safety Johnathan Abram to season-ending shoulder surgery and could be without more defensive backs on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Currently, cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Brandon Facyson are on the COVID-19/Reserve list, and safety Roderic Teamer was also added to the list.
The Raiders’ defensive backfield is getting light and they need help. With the team set to be missing a few defensive backs this week, they signed veteran safety Tony Brown to the practice squad.
We have also signed DB Tony Brown to the practice squad and released TE Matt Bushman from the practice squad.
Brown was on the team’s practice squad earlier in the season so he should be somewhat familiar with the defense. He was also briefly with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 and was coached by current Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. Odds are that the team will need him to play on Sunday and he should be ready. Brown has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers in the past. He’s played in 33 games and has yet to record an interception.
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Matt Bushman Released
To make room for Brown, the Raiders had to release rookie tight end Matt Bushman. The former BYU standout was signed to the team as an undrafted free agent in the offseason and has spent the entire season on the practice squad. He did suit up for two games this season but didn’t put up any stats.
The Raiders have four tight ends on the active roster in Darren Waller, Foster Moreau, Daniel Helm and Nick Bowers. Waller is injured right now but tight end was certainly an expendable position for the team, which is why Bushman got let go. The team clearly likes him considering he’s lasted this long. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s back on the team at some point during the season or when the offseason hit.
Raiders Shorthanded Again
At 7-7, the Raiders are still in the mix to make the playoffs out of the AFC. They’re set to face the Broncos on Sunday and could be missing a lot of pieces. Waller has yet to practice this week so odds are against him playing. The offense has been bad since he’s been out of the lineup. He’s easily the best weapon they have and not having him is clearly hurting the offense in a major way. With Denver’s defense playing at a high level, the Raiders’ offense could be in for a long day.
Luckily for them, quarterback Drew Lock will be starting for the Broncos. The Raiders defense will be happy to see that at Hobbs, Teamer and Facyson could all be out. Though the Raiders are shorthanded, this is still a winnable game for them. There’s no excuse to lose to Lock, who has yet to start a game this season. If the Raiders win, they’ll be back over .500 and have a much better shot at the playoffs.
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