Raiders Shifting Alex Leatherwood To Guard?
The Raiders’ historic offensive pace slowed Monday night, and the team is looking into an interesting adjustment on its new-look offensive line.
First-round pick Alex Leatherwood worked at right guard Thursday, with former third-rounder Brandon Parker lining up at right tackle, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed tweets. Raiders OC Greg Olson deemed this new arrangement an attempt at getting the team’s best five O-linemen on the field together, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore (on Twitter).
While this might not be a long-term adjustment, Leatherwood sliding to guard is certainly notable. This year’s No. 17 overall pick worked as Alabama’s left tackle during his junior and senior seasons. However, Leatherwood’s first foray into first-string Crimson Tide duty came at guard — as a sophomore in 2018. Leatherwood has struggled at right tackle with Las Vegas. The Raiders’ latest surprise first-round pick not only grades as Pro Football Focus’ worst tackle but has produced the lowest pass-blocking grade of any rookie through four games in the site’s 16-season history, PFF’s Austin Gayle tweets.
Parker has not been a regular starter since his 2018 rookie season. He served as a spot starter over the ensuing two seasons, lining up with the Raiders’ first-stringers seven times from 2019-20. The team’s current issues may lead to another opportunity. The Raiders jettisoned their three most experienced O-linemen in March, trading away Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown. That has led to some predictable early issues up front.
Las Vegas is currently down starting guards Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. The former is on short-term IR, while the latter is out for the season. The team has second-year guard John Simpson and Jermaine Eluemunor at guard, though neither is faring particularly well. While Derek Carr has offered up a strong start, the Raiders rank 27th in rushing.
Raiders RB Peyton Barber To Miss Time
The Raiders are down a running back. Peyton Barber has been diagnosed with mild turf toe, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
While the injury should sideline Barber for a “few weeks,” the veteran was fortunate to avoid a fracture. Barber is still “seeking opinions and having tests,” and it sounds like the organization will wait for those results before deciding on an IR stint.
Josh Jacobs has been limited to only two games and 29 touches this season, but Barber has done a fine job filling in (alongside free agent acquisition Kenyan Drake). Barber was a standout during the Raiders Week 3 win over the Dolphins, compiling 142 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. However, the 27-year-old was limited to only one touch on Monday with Jacobs back in the lineup.
While Barber could be out for a bit, the team will soon be welcoming back another running back. The Raiders designated Jalen Richard for return last week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/5/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: DT Mike Pennel
Chicago Bears
- Waived: WR/KR Nsimba Webster
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Michael Thomas
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Hjalte Froholdt (from Texans’ practice squad)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Ryan McCollum (from Texans’ practice squad)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Designated for Return: LB Willie Gay
- Placed on IR: DE Joshua Kaindoh
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: CB Brandon Facyson (from Chargers’ practice squad)
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Harrison Hand
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: LB Hamsah Nasirildeen
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: CB Danny Johnson, LB Jordan Kunaszyk
Raiders Designate Jalen Richard For Return
The Raiders have designated running back Jalen Richard for return. Meanwhile, fellow RB Josh Jacobs joined the team for practice on Thursday, a sign that he could take the field against the Chargers this week. 
Richard has spent five seasons with the Raiders, including a 2018 campaign where he finished with 866 yards from scrimmage. He hasn’t been able to match that production over the past two years, combining for only 729 yards from scrimmage in 29 games. Still, the 27-year-old was supposed to open the year as a primary backup to Jacobs. Instead, he’s been sidelined for the last couple of months with a foot injury.
Jacobs, meanwhile, has not been seen since the season opener against the Ravens. Instead of putting him on IR and ruling him out for three games, they’ve tasked Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber with handling the workload. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher scored two touchdowns in that game with 40 all-purpose yards.
Drake has yet to flourish in their stead, but Barber delivered last week with 111 rushing yards to help top the Dolphins.
DT Gerald McCoy Suspended Six Games
Gerald McCoy is already out for the 2021 campaign, but that didn’t stop the NFL from handing him a suspension. The Raiders defensive tackle was slapped with a six-game ban today, reports ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez (via Twitter).
McCoy was banned for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He’ll begin serving the suspension immediately.
“I love the game of football and have nothing but respect for the players, fans, and this league,” McCoy said in a statement (via Twitter). “I’ve given my all to this game and worked my entire career to compete, train, and rehabilitate at a high level with integrity. It is with great disappointment that I recently learned I tested positive for a banned substance – something I was prescribed to take to help with scar tissue and tendon strength from a previous injury. In no way would I ever intentionally take anything to help with performance or gain a competitive advantage. This was an honest mistake, but it’s something I take full responsibility for. I apologize to my family, the NFL, my teammates, and the fans and ask humbly for your forgiveness.”
McCoy was already sidelined for the entire 2021 campaign after suffering a season-ending injury during Week 1. However, it sounds like McCoy was punished for using a substance that helped him rehabilitate a previous injury…perhaps the torn quad that prevented him from taking the field for the Cowboys in 2020.
McCoy earned six Pro Bowl nods with the Buccaneers and performed as one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman in the 2010s. He spent 2019 with the Panthers, appeared in all 16 games, and registered five sacks, giving him 59.5 for his career.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/21
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Harry Crider, OL Javon Patterson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Jordan Lucas
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Trey Ragas, WR Javon Wims
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed (from Steelers): OLB Jamir Jones
New York Giants
- Signed: Omari Cobb, OL Sam Jones
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, TE Ryan Izzo, QB Jake Luton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Abdullah Anderson
Washington Football Team
- Signed: WR Kelvin Harmon
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/21
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: LB Daelin Hayes
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
Denver Broncos
- Signed (off Raiders practice squad): WR David Moore
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: RB Trey Ragas
New York Giants
- Signed (off WFT practice squad): G Wes Martin
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Activated off Reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kevin Minter
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/21
The weekly Saturday bunch of minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: WR Juwan Green
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted: LB Josh Bynes, DL Reginald McKenzie, CB Kevon Seymour, T Andre Smith
Chicago Bears
- Promoted: DL Margus Hunt
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted: S Sean Davis
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted: TE Jordan Franks
Detroit Lions
- Promoted: K Ryan Santoso
- Placed on IR: DE Kevin Strong
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: WR DeMichael Harris, QB Brett Hundley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Promoted: WR Phillip Dorsett
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: RB Trey Ragas
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: OLB Emeke Egbule, DL Joe Gaziano
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: DB Tyler Hall, RB Buddy Howell
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: RB Ameer Abdullah, G Dakota Dozier, CB Parry Nickerson
- Waived: T Blake Brandel
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Jahlani Tavai
New York Giants
- Promoted: WR C.J. Board, C Jonotthan Harrison
- Placed on IR: LB Cam Brown
New York Jets
- Promoted: OL Isaiah Williams
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: DT Robert Nkemdiche, WR Cody Thompson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted: CB Rashard Robinson, TE Deon Yelder
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: FB Tory Carter, DL Woodrow Hamilton
Raiders Elevate Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Patrick Onwuasor
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has moved closer to an opportunity to play in his first game since the 2019 season. The Raiders are elevating the veteran safety from their practice squad for Week 3.
Las Vegas signed Clinton-Dix to its practice squad last week, doing so after he failed to make San Francisco’s final 53. The 49ers cut Clinton-Dix less than three weeks after signing him this summer. He has not played since his one-season Bears tenure.
Although Clinton-Dix auditioned for several teams this year, the Raiders represented his first visit of 2021. The Cowboys signed the former Pro Bowler in 2020 but released him before the start of the regular season. Prior to these struggles landing a steady gig, Clinton-Dix did not miss a game from 2014-19. He worked as a starter throughout that stretch, making the Pro Bowl with the Packers in 2016 and ranking as an upper-echelon safety (per Pro Football Focus) with the Bears in ’19.
The Raiders are also adding yet another veteran linebacker to the mix. They elevated former Ravens first-stringer Patrick Onwuasor along with Clinton-Dix. Onwuasor landed on the Jets’ IR list twice last year but was a three-season Ravens starter from 2017-19. The Raiders auditioned Onwuasor in late August.
Onwuasor joins Denzel Perryman and K.J. Wright as new additions to the Vegas linebacking corps in the past month. The Raiders also have Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski, though Nicholas Morrow is on IR.
Raiders Move G Richie Incognito To IR
Richie Incognito‘s latest injury will move him to injured reserve for the second straight September. After missing the Raiders’ first two games with a calf injury, Incognito is heading to IR, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This designation will sideline the veteran guard for three more games. The Raiders had already ruled Incognito out for Week 3, after he missed another week of practice. Las Vegas used John Simpson and Jermaine Eluemunor as its starting guards in Week 2.
Incognito’s extended absence follows Denzelle Good‘s IR placement. Good, however, does not have a chance to return this season after suffering an ACL tear during the team’s opening-night victory. Good replaced Incognito after his early-season injury in 2020. Incognito suffered a foot injury that knocked him out for most of last season.
The Raiders made wholesale changes on their offensive line this offseason, and while they initially released Incognito, they kept the 38-year-old blocker around after bringing him back on a pay cut. Incognito was productive for the Raiders in 2019, helping the team deploy one of the league’s best rushing attacks. But the polarizing interior lineman has not been available much since.