Latest On Raiders' Lynn Bowden Jr. Decision
- Lynn Bowden Jr.‘s Raiders tenure not lasting until Week 1 represented one of this summer’s more surprising developments, but the team viewed the third-round pick as ineffective on the field and a potential red flag off it. A lack of explosiveness contributed to the Raiders shipping Bowden to the Dolphins, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, who adds the team was also concerned about the Kentucky product’s off-field approach — particularly after the team’s move to Las Vegas (subscription required). The Raiders ate Bowden’s $985K signing bonus to send the gadget player to Miami.
Raiders Rework Cory Littleton’s Contract
The Raiders have restructured the contract of linebacker Cory Littleton in order to create more than $8MM in cap space, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The move will give Las Vegas, who had been projected to be over the cap, some financial breathing room.
Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, the Raiders appeared to have converted $10.09MM of Littleton’s 2020 base salary into a signing bonus while adding two void years to the end of his contract. In sum, Las Vegas reduced Fitzgerald’s 2020 cap charge by $8.072MM but added $2.018MM in each remaining season of his contract.
Restructures nearly always benefit the player in question. Not only does Littleton get more money up front in the form of a new signing bonus, but he’s now more difficult to release in future years. Indeed, many contracts simply have a restructure clause built in, so the team doesn’t even have to ask the player before making the move. However, it’s rare to see a newly-signed player like Littleton get a restructure before he ever plays a down for his new club.
Littleon, 27, spent four years with the Rams before inking a three-year, $35.25MM pact with Las Vegas earlier this year. An exceptional coverage linebacker, Littleton joined Nick Kwiatkoski as new additions to the Raiders’ linebacking unit.
Jaguars To Sign RB Dare Ogunbowale
The Jaguars are signing free agent running back Dare Ogunbowale, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Released by the Buccaneers last week after they signed fellow running back Leonard Fournette, Ogunbowale didn’t last long on the open market.
Jacksonville, of course, was the club that released Fournette, and it will now add Ogunbowale to a backfield that also includes Chris Thompson, Devine Ozigbo, and undrafted rookie free agent James Robinson, the latter of whom is listed as the nominal starter for Week 1.
Ogunbowale’s skill set would seem to overlap with that of Thompson. Both are running backs who excel in the passing game — the 26-year-old Ogunbowale caught 35 passes in 2019 on just 361 offensive snaps, but rushed just 11 times for 17 yards.
An undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin in 2017, Ogunbowale will likely contribute immediately on the Jaguars’ special teams unit. He was a core special teamer for the Buccaneers last season, playing more than 60% of Tampa Bay’s ST snaps.
Prior to signing with Jacksonville, Ogunbowale visited the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Las Vegas was on the lookout for another pass-catching back after trading rookie Lynn Bowden to the Dolphins last week.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/9/20
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad updates here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Michael Dogbe
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Deone Bucannon
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Jordan Devey, DE Chris Slayton
- Released: RB Antonio Williams
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Keandre Jones, G Keaton Sutherland
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Greg Senat
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Elijah McGuire, T Eric Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: RB Kerrith Whyte
- Released: WR Victor Bolden
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Robert Foster, LB De’Jon Harris
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OT Jaryd Jones-Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed: G Corey Levin
- Released: FB Paul Quessenberry
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Marcus Willoughby
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Rush, WR John Ursua
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Cameron Batson, LB Malik Jefferson
Raiders Place Marcus Mariota On IR, Add DeShone Kizer To P-Squad
The Raiders have placed quarterback Marcus Mariota on injured reserve, per a club announcement. For added insurance, the club has added one-time Notre Dame star DeShone Kizer to the Raiders’ practice squad. 
Mariota’s strained pectoral muscle will keep him out for at least three weeks, per the league’s modified rules for 2020. Without him, the Raiders are rolling with two QBs on the active roster – Derek Carr and Nathan Peterman. Mariota’s temporary absence may take a little bit of pressure off of Derek Carr, who has certainly heard the footsteps. Mariota, who was leapfrogged by Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee, finished the year with a career-low 59.4% completion rate and just 1,203 yards.
Kizer has been on the workout trail ever since he was cut by the club in May, but those tryouts didn’t land him a deal. Now, the 2017 second-round pick will stick around in Las Vegas as he waits for his next opportunity. Kizer, 24, has made 18 appearances over the course of his NFL career, most of which came during the Browns’ winless season. All in all, he’s got eleven touchdowns against 24 interceptions.
Here’s the full rundown of the Raiders’ practice squad after Monday’s move:
- WR Marcell Ateman
- TE Nick Bowers
- S Jordan Brown
- WR Keelan Doss
- K Dominik Eberle
- LB Kyle Emanuel
- S Madre Harper
- DE Datone Jones
- QB DeShone Kizer
- C Dylan Mabin
- OL Erik Magnuson
- RB Theo Riddick
- OT: Kamaal Seymour
- DE Chris Smith
- LB Javin White
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/20
Here are Sunday’s minor moves. The players who landed on injured reserve are eligible to come off teams’ respective lists after three weeks. For 2020, teams can also activate an unlimited number of IR players — as opposed to the two-man max of 2019.
Atlanta Falcons
- Claimed (from Washington): T Timon Paris
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed (from Dolphins): G Deion Calhoun
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed (from Cowboys): DE Joe Jackson
- Claimed (from Bills): DT Vincent Taylor
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on IR: WR Ventell Bryant
- Signed: CB C.J. Goodwin, LB Justin March-Lillard
- Released: LB Joe Thomas
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: T Brent Qvale, LS Jon Weeks
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed (from Eagles): TE Noah Togiai
Las Vegas Raiders
Minnesota Vikings
- Claimed (from Giants): LB Ryan Connelly
New York Giants
- Claimed (from Chiefs): T Jackson Barton, S Adrian Colbert
- Claimed (from Browns): WR Damion Ratley
- Waived: S Sean Chandler, OL Chad Slade
- Placed on IR: LB David Mayo, S Xavier McKinney
Philadelphia Eagles
- Claimed (from Lions): RB Jason Huntley
- Placed on IR: S Will Parks, WR Quez Watkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: J.J. Nelson
Seattle Seahawks
- Claimed (from Titans): LB D’Andre Walker
- Waived: DB Linden Stephens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: C A.Q. Shipley
Matt Moore, DeAndre Washington Land On Chiefs’ Practice Squad
After agreeing to re-sign with the Chiefs late in the offseason, Matt Moore learned he did not make their active roster. But he is not leaving Kansas City.
The defending Super Bowl champions are carrying Moore on their expanded practice squad. Moore joins Josh McCown as veteran quarterbacks who agreed to join practice squads Sunday. Teams are now permitted to carry up to six veterans of unlimited service time on their taxi squads, and the Chiefs will also use one of their slots for quarterback insurance.
Moore, signed after he’d left the game and begun working as a scout and a high school assistant coach, started two games in relief of Patrick Mahomes last year. He won one of those, against the Vikings, and that game ended up helping the Chiefs clinch the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Moore, 36, will play an emergency role behind Mahomes and Chad Henne. The Chiefs are carrying two QBs — Moore and former XFL passer Jordan Ta’amu — on their P-squad.
Former Raiders backup running back DeAndre Washington also rejoined the Chiefs after being released. The Chiefs signed the veteran back this offseason but gave holdovers Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson roster spots over him, despite Washington having played with Mahomes at Texas Tech.
Here is Kansas City’s full squad:
- DB Rodney Clemons
- LB Omari Cobb
- WR Gehrig Dieter
- WR Maurice Ffrench
- WR Joe Fortson
- LB Darius Harris
- DB Lavert Hill
- DT Braxton Hoyett
- DB Chris Lammons
- WR Kalija Lipscomb
- QB Matt Moore
- QB Jordan Ta’amu
- DE Tim Ward
- RB DeAndre Washington
- C Darryl Williams
Raiders Trade RB Lynn Bowden Jr. To Dolphins
We’ve got a bit of an unusual trade to pass along. The Raiders are trading rookie running back Lynn Bowden Jr. and a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange for a fourth-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports (Twitter link).
It’s pretty rare for a third-round pick to get traded before ever playing a game for the team that drafted them, so the Raiders must not have liked something about Bowden. Especially to give him up for considerably less draft capital than they spent. The Kentucky product’s home was searched by the DEA back in June, although he was never arrested, and it’s unclear if that caused him to fall out of favor with the organization. As Rapoport points out, it’s the same fourth-round pick they’re getting back that they just traded to Miami last week in exchange for Raekwon McMillan.
As for Miami, it’s a nice low-risk pickup considering they have an unsettled backfield and could use all the young talent they could get. They’ve apparently had their eye on Bowden for a while, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that the Dolphins “loved” him before the draft and had a top-30 visit with him scheduled before it was canceled due to COVID-19.
As of right now the Dolphins are set for a timeshare in their backfield with Jordan Howard and Matt Breida. Bowden should compete for snaps right away, and he also has value as a return specialist. He’s an elite athlete, as he even started at quarterback for a while for Kentucky after a couple of injuries. The Raiders had said they planned to use him in a versatile utility role, and it’ll be very interesting to see what Brian Flores’ staff comes up with for him.
Raiders Cut RB Theo Riddick
Theo Riddick could be on the move again. The veteran running back is being cut by the Raiders, a source told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN (Twitter link).
That being said that doesn’t mean he won’t be in Vegas, as Gutierrez notes the Raiders want him as a veteran exception on the practice squad. He also writes that Riddick impressed during his brief time in camp. The pass-catching specialist just signed with the team on August 23rd.
Riddick broke into the league as a sixth-round pick of the Lions in 2013, and spent the next six years in Detroit. He carved out a nice role on passing downs, and for a while was one of the top receiving backs in the league. His best season as a receiver came in 2015 when he caught 80 passed for 697 yards and three touchdowns.
His production declined shortly thereafter, and the Lions finally released him in July of last year. He quickly latched on with the Broncos, but didn’t appear in a game for Denver after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Raiders Release DL Chris Smith
Despite signing with the Raiders in late August, Chris Smith is once again a free agent. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Las Vegas has released the veteran defensive lineman.
The 2014 fifth-round pick out of Arkansas spent the first three seasons of his career with the Jaguars, but he’s bounced around a bit since. After spending the 2017 campaign with the Bengals, Smith spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Browns. He signed with the Panthers earlier this offseason, but he was cut by the organization in late July. He caught on with the Raiders a few weeks later.
In total, the 28-year-old has seen time in 60 regular season games (two starts), compiling 67 tackles and 8.5 sacks. His 2017 and 2018 seasons proved to be two of the best of his career, as he averaged 15.5 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumbles per year.
Clelin Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, Carl Nassib, Arden Key seemed to be locked in at defensive end for the Raiders, so it wasn’t going to be easy for Smith to make the roster.