Raiders WR Brandon LaFell Out For Season
The Raiders’ depleted receiving corps got a little thinner on Sunday after veteran wideout Brandon LaFell tore his Achilles vs. the Cardinals, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets. 
A nine-year veteran, LaFell served as a solid No. 2 or 3 receiver on a handful of squads, most recently with Cincinnati before signing with the Raiders in 2018. LaFell emerged as a serviceable pass catcher in his short time with Oakland, logging at least three grabs in three consecutive games. He posted two catches for 29 yards and a touchdown prior to the injury. He finished the 2018 season with 13 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
With Amari Cooper traded to Dallas, and Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant both sidelined with knee injuries, the Raiders depth at receiver has dwindled down to veteran Seth Roberts and rookie Marcell Ateman. Should Nelson and Bryant remain out, the Raiders will likely look to bring in a veteran during the week.
Raiders DT Justin Ellis To Return To Practice
Justin Ellis is (almost) back. Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Raiders nose tackle is set to return to practice next week. The writer implies that the team will ultimately activate Ellis from the injured reserve once he’s ready to go.
It’s a lost season for the Raiders, but the team will surely appreciate the reinforcement along the defensive line. Ellis originally suffered a foot injury during Oakland’s season-opener against the Rams, and the team subsequently placed him on the injured reserve. It was expected that the 27-year-old would return to practice in late October, but the defensive tackle apparently needed some extra time to recover.
The Raiders’ new regime will certainly want to see what they have in Ellis, especially after he inked a three-year, $15MM extension with the team during the offseason. Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s better run stopping tackles last year, and he finished the 2017 campaign with 48 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 16 games (14 starts).
Ellis is one of three Raiders defensive tackles currently sitting on the injured reserve (along with Eddie Vanderdoes and Ahtyba Rubin). When he’s ultimately activated from the IR, he’ll be joining a healthy grouping that includes P.J. Hall, Maurice Hurst, Johnathan Hankins, and Clinton McDonald.
Raiders Veteran Expresses Displeasure
- Veteran edge defender Tank Carradine worked out for the Cowboys today, but Dallas doesn’t have any plans to sign the free agent, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys currently have five defensive linemen on their injury report, so they could be shorthanded when they face the Falcons on Sunday. Carradine, for his part, signed with the Raiders in the spring but was cut in early October after playing limited snaps. He’s worked out for four clubs since, but the 28-year-old — who appeared in 44 games with the 49ers from 2014-17 — has yet to find a new home.
- Thing aren’t going well in Oakland, where the Raiders have posted a 1-8 record under head coach Jon Gruden, and the stress of a dismal 2018 campaign seemed to boil over following Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. “I gotta get the (expletive) outta here,” one anonymous veteran said in full view of reporters, per Matt Schneidman of the Mercury News. Per Football Outsiders, the Raiders have a 54.5% chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft and a 95% chance of receiving a top-five selection.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Leonard Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Tre’Von Johnson
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Ramon Humber
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Saeed Blacknall
Washington Redskins
- Waived: CB Joshua Holsey
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/14/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Rick Leonard
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB Tyler Ervin
- Released: DB Makinton Dorleant
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DB David Jones
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OL Rees Odhiambo
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis, WR ArDarius Stewart
Washington Redskins
NFL Reinstates Jalen Collins, Darius Latham
The NFL has reinstated former Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins and former Raiders defensive tackle Darius Latham, the league announced. Both of their suspensions wrapped up on Tuesday, clearing the free agents to sign with an NFL team. 
Collins, a former second-round pick, flashed potential in his time with Atlanta. Unfortunately, multiple suspensions have derailed his career, including his most recent 10-game ban. Collins started eight games for the Falcons and played in 24. He also started all three of Atlanta’s games in the 2016 playoffs, including Super Bowl LI.
If not for his red flags, the 25-year-old likely would have been a first-round choice in 2015. He also might be a starting cornerback in Atlanta today.
Latham made a bigger impression for the 2016 Raiders, playing in 14 games and starting two, than he did last season. Thanks in part to his four-game suspension, Latham ended up playing in just three contests last year. He made 17 tackles as a rookie and has yet to record a sack. This year, the Raiders cut him just before Day 1 of the draft.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/18
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad decisions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Cut: WR Montay Crockett
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: CB Denzel Rice
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Chad Hansen
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Steve Ishmael, DE Anthony Winbush
- Released: OT De’Ondre Wesley
Oakland Raiders
- Cut: DE James Cowser
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Will Tye
- Cut: TE Billy Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Ralph Webb
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: CB Mike Jordan
NFL Workout Updates: 11/13/18
Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. All links go to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Thurston Armbrister, LB Terence Garvin, CB Leonard Johnson, T Rick Leonard, S Dexter McCoil, DT Tyrunn Walker (link)
Detroit Lions
- LB Azeem Victor (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- TE Kivon Cartwright, TE Je’Ron Hamm, TE Nick Keizer, CB Reggie Porter, LB Anthony Winbush (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Geneo Grissom, DT David Parry, DT Elijah Qualls, T Menelik Watson (Twitter link via Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan)
New Orleans Saints
- DT Michael Bennett, DT Sealver Siliga, DE Phil Taylor, DL Jerel Worthy (link)
New York Jets
- WR Tanner McEvoy, LB Corey Nelson, DE Marcus Smith, DL Destiny Vaeao, TE Hakeem Valles (link)
Oakland Raiders
- S Afolabi Aguda, WR Rashard Davis, WR Josh Huff, WR Charles Johnson, P Drew Kaser, S Tray Matthews, S Stephen Roberts, QB Alek Torgersen, WR Griff Whalen, S J.J. Wilcox (link)
Tennessee Titans
- WR Daniel Braverman, WR Quan Bray, OLB/DE Kasim Edebali, DE Terrence Fede, CB Dontae Johnson, CB Mike Jordan, CB Ashton Lampkin, CB Jeremiah McKinnon, OLB/DE Nate Orchard, QB Nic Shimonek, WR ArDarius Stewart, TE Tyrone Swoopes, LB John Timu, RB Charcandrick West (link)
Raiders Waive DE Kony Ealy
Kony Ealy‘s Oakland stay did not last long. Signed to start last week, the veteran defensive end is now off the team after the Raiders made the decision to waive him Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Ealy was a healthy scratch against the Chargers. Unlike when the Cowboys cut him earlier this year, he’ll head to waivers. The former Panthers second-round pick played in at least 15 games in each of his first four seasons; he’s yet to see action in 2018.
The Raiders have signed numerous outside free agents this season. Many have not worked out. The team has, however, given significant playing time to rookies P.J. Hall, Arden Key and Maurice Hurst, which makes sense in what quickly became a rebuilding year. Ealy, though, joined Johnathan Hankins and Clinton McDonald as in-season D-line additions.
Ealy spent three seasons with the Panthers and last year with the Jets. But over the past 15 months, the Patriots, Cowboys and now Raiders have cut him.
Raiders’ Eddie Vanderdoes To Finish Year On IR
Eddie Vanderdoes won’t suit up for the Raiders this year after all. The Raiders hoped to activate the defensive tackle from the PUP list, but will not be cleared before the expiration of the three-week window, coach Jon Gruden told reporters. 
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Vanderdoes, the 88th overall selection in the 2017 draft, fell to the Raiders largely because of his injury history. The UCLA product tore his ACL in the 2015 season opener, but kept himself on the NFL radar with his clean technique, including quick hands and consistently low pad level.
Vanderdoes started 13 of his 16 games as a rookie and finished out with 18 total tackles. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until next year to see the field again and reassert himself at the pro level.
The 1-8 Raiders now have three defensive tackles on IR in Vanderdoes, Ahtyba Rubin, and Justin Ellis.