Raiders Sign S Roderic Teamer
New Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will reunite with another of his former Chargers troops. The Raiders agreed to terms with safety Roderic Teamer on Thursday.
Set to follow ex-Bolts teammate Casey Hayward in Las Vegas, Teamer will join the Raiders after a stint with the Colts. The former UDFA caught on with Indianapolis via reserve/futures contract in January but ended up being waived shortly after the draft. Teamer’s Raiders deal is for one year and $780K, veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson tweets.
Teamer was with the Chargers for just one season, with a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy sidetracking his tenure in Los Angeles. The Tulane product, however, worked as a starter for the Bolts as a rookie. Depleted at safety in 2019, the Chargers used Teamer as a six-game starter. He made 40 tackles, registered a sack and intercepted a pass during that stay. The Chargers cut Teamer in August 2020, following the news of his four-game suspension.
The Raiders have been busy in their secondary this offseason. At safety alone, the team has added second-round pick Trevon Moehrig, fourth-rounder Tyree Gillespie and reunited with 2016 first-round pick Karl Joseph. A special teams role may be the Raiders’ objective with Teamer (no pun intended).
Raiders Re-Sign Sam Young
Sam Young will return to the Raiders (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). On Thursday, the two sides reached agreement on a new one-year deal, giving him a chance to slot into the team’s offensive tackle rotation.
Kolton Miller will start at left tackle with unexpected first-round pick Alex Leatherwood likely to man the right side. Young could operate as one of the first tackles off of the bench behind both players, or an insurance policy for Leatherwood if he’s still a bit green. But, based on the reviews Leatherwood has been getting out of practice, the reserve role seems more likely for Young.
“Yeah, he’s a big body,” veteran guard Richie Incognito said last week (via The Athletic). “He comes from a storied program at Alabama, and he’s done a ton of winning — a couple national championships under his belt. He’s a quiet kid … he’s a hard worker. He’s picking up on what (offensive line) coach (Tom) Cable is laying down, and I expect him to have a big year.”
Young isn’t exactly an elite tackle, but he does offer lots of experience, including eleven games (seven starts) for the Raiders last year. On the whole, he’s got 103 appearances to his credit across eleven pro seasons.
Raiders Sign TE Alex Ellis
Journeyman Alex Ellis is joining his seventh organization. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the veteran tight end is signing with the Raiders.
The 2016 undrafted free agent out of Tennessee has bounced around the NFL over the past four-plus years, spending time with the Titans, Jaguars, Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, and (phew) Patriots. The tight end saw time on a career-high 124 snaps with Jacksonville in 2016, a season in which he started three games.
The 28-year-old’s last appearance in a regular season game was in 2019, when he saw time in three games for Philly. He caught on with the Patriots last August but was let go before the regular season.
Ellis will be joining a crowded depth chart is Las Vegas. Behind starter Darren Waller, the team is also rostering tight ends Foster Moreau, Derek Carrier, Nick Bowers, Matt Bushman, and Carson Williams. While Ellis has more NFL experience than a handful of those players, it’s no guarantee he ends up making the roster.
Damon Arnette A Slot CB Candidate
- The Raiders might be considering shifting 2020 first-round pick Damon Arnette from the outside to the slot, Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes (subscription required). Gus Bradley‘s staff watched Ohio State film in order to best position Arnette, who could shift inside if recent addition Casey Hayward commandeers a starting job outside. Injuries and COVID-19 limited Arnette to nine games as a rookie. Pro Football Focus graded him 116th out of 121 qualified corners last season.
Trent Brown, Gabe Jackson Declined Raiders Pay Cuts
The Raiders made major changes on their offensive line this offseason, jettisoning two Pro Bowlers and their longest-tenured starter. Two or three first-year starters are expected to block for Derek Carr this season.
Prior to the Raiders separating from Rodney Hudson, Trent Brown and Gabe Jackson, the team offered the latter duo pay cuts in order to stay, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). It is not known how substantial the proposed cuts were, but both Brown and Jackson declined the Raiders’ offers.
After reports surfaced Jackson would be cut, the Raiders found an 11th-hour trade partner and sent the seven-year guard starter to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. That pick (No. 167) became Illinois cornerback Nate Hobbs. The Raiders dealt Brown to the Patriots for a fifth as well; Las Vegas also sent New England a seventh-rounder in that swap. Both players have since reworked their contracts.
The Raiders gave Jackson a five-year, $56MM extension in June 2017; two non-guaranteed years remained on that deal. The Seahawks and Jackson have since agreed to a three-year, $22.58MM extension, which came with $16MM in total guarantees and $10.75MM fully guaranteed.
Given a then-tackle-record four-year, $66MM deal in March 2019, Brown battled injuries and COVID-19 last season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2019, however. Signing up for a second Brown stint, the Pats have the mammoth tackle under contract at $9MM for the 2021 season. He is due for free agency again in 2022. Brown did end up agreeing to a pay cut in New England, though incentives can take the pact up to $11MM.
Las Vegas has since drafted Alex Leatherwood in Round 1; he will be projected to take over for Brown at right tackle. Richie Incognito, who did agree to return at a reduced rate, and Denzelle Good are back in the fold at guard. John Simpson, a 2020 fourth-round pick, is also set to vie for Jackson’s old right guard spot as well. Andre James, who has since signed an extension himself, may well succeed Hudson at center.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/25/21
We’ll keep tabs on today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: TE Ross Travis
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: Kamaal Seymour
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Willie Henry
- Waived: LB Joe Bachie
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Cam Sutton
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Dee Delaney
Raiders Sign First-Round OL Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood has put pen to paper. The Raiders first-round pick has signed his rookie deal, the team announced this evening.
Offensive line was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft, and the Raiders made sure they secured one of the top offensive line prospects. While some pundits believe GM Mike Mayock may have reached a bit to select the Alabama product at No. 17, there’s no denying Leatherwood’s potential.
The 6-foot-5, 312-pound lineman was a standout during his four years at Alabama, winning a pair of championships and a long list of individual accolades (including unanimous first-team All-American and All-SEC nods in 2020). Leatherwood earned his high draft stock due to his performance at offensive tackle, and he’ll likely slot in at right tackle for the Raiders in 2021. Long term, there’s a chance the team uses him as an offensive guard.
The Raiders have now signed four of their seven draft picks:
Round 1: No. 17 Alex Leatherwood, OL (Alabama)
Round 2: No. 43 (from 49ers) Trevon Moehrig, S (TCU)
Round 3: No. 79 (from Cardinals) Malcolm Koonce, DE (Buffalo)
Round 3: No. 80 Divine Deablo, S (Virginia Tech)
Round 4: No. 143 (from Vikings via Jets) Tyree Gillespie, S (Missouri) (signed)
Round 5: No. 167 (from Seahawks) Nate Hobbs, CB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 7: No. 230 (from Jets via 49ers) Jimmy Morrissey, C (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Raiders Sign OL Patrick Omameh
Despite waiving Patrick Omameh during the 2020 season, the Raiders have the veteran offensive lineman back on their roster. They re-signed the well-traveled guard Monday.
Omameh initially caught on with the Raiders in September of last year, after the Saints released him. He played in six games with Las Vegas, which was down Richie Incognito following Week 2. But the team cut Omameh in December. He later caught on with the Chiefs but did not see action in any of their playoff games.
During an offseason in which the Raiders have said goodbye to multiple longtime O-line staples — Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson — they have also re-signed several blockers. Incognito, Denzelle Good and now Omameh are back in the fold after spending time in free agency.
Omameh, 31, spent the bulk of his first five seasons as a starter but did so in a few cities. The former UDFA started at least seven games for the Buccaneers, Bears, Jaguars and Giants from 2014-18. The Giants, however, cut him midway through the ’18 season. Omameh has worked as a backup over the past two years, playing with the Saints and Raiders.
He stands to compete for a depth role for a team that has Incognito, Good and 2020 draftee John Simpson set to vie for first-string guard spots.
Raiders, Dolphins Tried To Claim Geron Christian
On Friday, the Texans claimed former Washington left tackle Geron Christian. But, they weren’t the only team to submit a claim for him. Had the WFT passed, Christian would have joined the Raiders (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). The Dolphins also submitted a claim on the 2018 third-rounder.
Christian was less-than-stellar in D.C., but quality tackles are hard to come by at this stage of the offseason. He’s also on the final year of his low-cost rookie year deal, making him an affordable pickup for teams in need. That was a definite selling point for the Texans, who have spent most of their offseason inking free agents to short-term contracts.
The 6-foot-6 blocker has played in 24 games over the course of his pro career, which started as a reserve behind Trent Williams. Injuries have held Christian up along the way, including an MCL tear as a rookie. Last year, Christian saw just six games and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 60 ranked tackle in the league. On Friday, Washington brought an end to Christian’s tenure while also dropping the durable Morgan Moses.
Now, Washington has new options in rookie Samuel Cosmi and veteran Charles Leno. The Texans are well covered with Laremy Tunsil, Tytus Howard, Marcus Cannon, and Christian. Meanwhile, the Raiders and Dolphins will continue to search for outside protectors.
Raiders Release DL David Irving
Despite not seeing much time with the Raiders last season, David Irving generated some interest in free agency this year. But the former Cowboys regular opted to re-sign with the Raiders. That deal did not end up lasting too long.
The Raiders released Irving on Friday. This is not the first time such a transaction has occurred. Las Vegas signed Irving midway through last season but cut him on multiple occasions, shuttling him to its practice squad. With practice squads not forming until September, Irving is back in free agency.
Irving played in two games last season, logging just 45 snaps, and has suited up for just four over the past three years. Suspensions have dogged the 27-year-old D-lineman, but he has avoided any bans since his most recent reinstatement last fall. The ex-Cowboys starter worked out for the Colts and Lions this offseason as well. While more interest may develop, Irving is nearly four years removed from his last season of consequence.
The 6-foot-7 pass rusher did log seven sacks in eight games in 2017; that has likely continued to generate interest. It will be interesting to see if the former Chiefs UDFA can land with a fourth NFL team.
Las Vegas added several defensive line pieces this offseason, signing Yannick Ngakoue and using a third-round pick on fellow defensive end Malcolm Koonce. Former top-five pick Solomon Thomas and Quinton Jefferson are also now with the Raiders. Like Irving, each has experience working at both D-end and D-tackle.