Raiders Add Vic Beasley To Practice Squad
The Raiders are stocking up on former Falcons notables. In addition to adding Takkarist McKinley, the Raiders will also sign edge rusher Vic Beasley, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). While McKinley seems ticketed for the active roster, Beasley will head to the practice squad.
Despite signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal this offseason, the Titans cut ties with him earlier this month. The former first-round pick showed up late to camp, clashed with team brass, and failed to record a single sack as a Titan. While he saw his playing time gradually increase throughout the season, Beasley still mostly produced in a platoon role, finishing with three tackles and one forced fumble in five games.
Despite the underwhelming performance in Tennessee, this represents the ultimate low-risk, high-reward scenario for Jon Gruden & Co. After all, he’s not that far removed from 2016, when he notched 15.5 sacks en route to a 2016 All-Pro selection. He also managed eight sacks in 2019 — good enough to land that ill-fated platform deal in Tennessee. For reference, the Raiders have the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (11), and the rank in the bottom 10 in QB hits, tackles for loss, and sack percentage.
Just moments ago, the Raiders claimed McKinley off waivers from the 49ers. Assuming the defensive end passes his physical (which is a big assumption, considering his failed physicals with the Bengals and 49ers), the 25-year-old should get a spot on the active roster.
Raiders Claim DE Takk McKinley
The Raiders have claimed defensive end Takkarist McKinley off waivers, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This marks McKinley’s fourth NFL team this month. After he was dropped by the Falcons, he failed physicals with both the Bengals and 49ers.
The Niners were still said to be interested in the former-first rounder, but they couldn’t find room for him on the active roster while he nurses a groin injury. McKinley has 17.5 career sacks to his credit, though just one of those have come in 2020. The UCLA product has had an up-and-down career as a pro. He registered 13 sacks over his first two seasons but, since 2019, he’s logged just 4.5 in total.
There’s plenty for Jon Gruden and the Raiders to like about him still, especially since he notched seven QB hits in just 85 snaps for the Falcons this year. As a team, the Raiders have collected only 46 QB hits, which is a bottom-10 mark this season.
Maxx Crosby and Arden Key are currently slotted in as the Raiders’ starting defensive ends. McKinley will likely have to battle with several other veterans for playing time, a grouping that includes Carl Nassib and practice squad players Chris Smith and David Irving.
Lamarcus Joyner Back On Reserve/COVID-List
The Raiders activated CB Lamarcus Joyner from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, but as Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports, Las Vegas has put Joyner back on the list today (Twitter link). As such, Joyner will miss tonight’s matchup with the Chiefs.
Raiders defensive end Clelin Ferrell recently tested positive for the coronavirus, and as a close contact of Ferrell, Joyner — along with a whole host of other players — landed on the reserve-COVID-19 list earlier this week. All of those other players came off the list yesterday and remain on track to play.
It’s unclear whether Joyner himself has contracted the virus, but regardless, the Raiders will be without their primary slot corner as they attempt to put a lid on the Chiefs’ high-flying offense. Of course, Las Vegas is responsible for Kansas City’s only loss this season, but the club had to prepare for this game with most of its starting defense participating remotely.
Joyner, who is in his second year with the Raiders, has not been great this season, as Pro Football Focus regards him as a middling performer in terms of coverage and as the 85th-best corner out of 119 eligible players. Still, the club ranks in the bottom third of the league in passing yards allowed per game, and losing a veteran like Joyner is never a good thing.
Joyner has compiled 46 tackles and three passes defensed this season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/20
Here is Saturday’s usual flood of minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted: QB Kurt Benkert
Carolina Panthers
- Promoted: DB Natrell Jamerson, LB Chris Orr
- Waived: S Sean Chandler
Cleveland Browns
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: T Jack Conklin, K Cody Parkey
- Promoted: G Michael Dunn, DE Cameron Malveaux, FB Johnny Stanton
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from IR: T Brandon Knight
- Promoted: C Adam Redmond, CB Rashard Robinson
- Placed on IR: C Tyler Biadasz
Denver Broncos
- Activated from IR: OL Elijah Wilkinson
- Promoted: TE Troy Fumagalli, LB Josh Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: P Drew Kaser
- Promoted: RB Mike Weber
Houston Texans
- Promoted: LB Nate Hall, OL Greg Mancz, RB Scottie Phillips
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from IR: CB D.J. Hayden
- Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, LB Joe Giles-Harris, WR Terry Godwin, TE Eric Saubert
- Waived: S Doug Middleton
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted: C Joey Hunt, DE Cassius Marsh, DT Rob Windsor
Kansas City Chiefs
- Promoted: WR Gehrig Dieter, OL Bryan Witzmann
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted: DL David Irving
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Theo Riddick
Los Angeles Chargers
- Promoted: LB B.J. Bello, LB Cole Christiansen, S Jaylen Watkins
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Kyzir White
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted: K Matt Gay
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: TE Chris Myarick
Minnesota Vikings
- Promoted: T Aviante Collins, LS Andrew DePaola
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: FB C.J. Ham
New England Patriots
- Promoted: LB Terez Hall, WR Donte Moncrief
- Waived: OL Hjalte Froholdt, DE Derek Rivers
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted: DT Ryan Glasgow, TE Garrett Griffin
New York Jets
- Promoted: QB Mike White
- Activated from IR: LB Frankie Luvu
- Placed on IR: CB Bless Austin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Promoted: RB Elijah Holyfield, DT T.Y. McGill, DE Joe Ostman, TE Caleb Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from IR: DT Chris Wormley
Washington Football Team
- Promoted: LB Jordan Kunaszyk, T David Steinmetz
Seven Raiders Defenders To Come Off Reserve/COVID-19 List
While the Raiders practiced without several defenders this week, they are at least on track to have those players in uniform Sunday night against the Chiefs.
After continuing to test negative for COVID-19, seven Raider defenders will come off the team’s coronavirus list Saturday, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com tweets. Johnathan Abram, Johnathan Hankins, Arden Key, Maliek Collins, cornerback Isaiah Johnson and defensive lineman Kendal Vickers will be activated Saturday. David Irving is set to come off Las Vegas’ practice squad COVID-19 list, per Gutierrez.
The Raiders placed these seven players on their reserve/COVID list earlier this week, preventing each from practicing. They joined Lamarcus Joyner in that regard; the Raiders activated Joyner on Friday. This octet profiled as close contacts of Clelin Ferrell, who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week. Abram, Hankins, Key, Collins, Johnson and Vickers will be eligible to play against the Chiefs if their most recent COVID tests come back negative Sunday morning. Irving must be activated off the Raiders’ practice squad to suit up in Week 11.
Unlike Week 7’s Raiders-Buccaneers game — which was moved out of the Sunday-night window after Las Vegas’ first-string offensive line did not practice all week because of Trent Brown‘s positive COVID test — the NFL did not switch this week’s Raiders-Chiefs rematch out of the Sunday-night time slot.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/20/20
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: QB Trace McSorley
Chicago Bears
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Lachavious Simmons
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Denico Autry
Las Vegas Raiders
- Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Lamarcus Joyner
New York Jets
- Signed to one-year extension: OL Conor McDermott
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB T.J. Logan; Logan remains on IR
Takk McKinley Fails 49ers Physical
Takkarist McKinley has not lacked for suitors since the Falcons waived him, but the former first-round pick has run into medical trouble since leaving Atlanta.
Days after McKinley did not pass a Bengals physical, the 49ers also failed him on their medical exam, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports (on Twitter). The 49ers waived him Friday. The 49ers have not given up on McKinley, but because of the waiver system, they risk losing him. McKinley is battling a groin injury.
Interestingly, the Browns and Raiders joined the 49ers in submitting two waiver claims for McKinley. The AFC teams tried to claim the fourth-year defensive end after the Falcons cut him, but the Bengals’ priority won out. They again put in claims after the Bengals waived him, but the 49ers won out, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. It will be interesting to see if the six-win AFCers try again.
The Falcons shopped McKinley before the trade deadline but did not end up dealing him. The 2017 first-rounder appears to have a market, but he will need to return to full health to benefit from it. He will be a first-time free agent if no team claims him this time around.
Trent Brown Eyeing Week 12 Clearance
- The Raiders have been the league’s chief culprits at violating the NFL’s coronavirus policies, and their latest issue — Clelin Ferrell‘s positive test causing half the team’s starting defense to land on the reserve/COVID-19 list — could conceivably prompt the NFL to move another Las Vegas Sunday-night tilt off of primetime. As of Wednesday evening, however, the league has no plans to change the start time for Week 11’s Raiders-Chiefs rematch, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The NFL moved Week 7’s Buccaneers-Raiders game to a Sunday-afternoon window after Trent Brown‘s positive test caused Las Vegas’ starting O-line to miss a week’s worth of workouts.
- Speaking of Brown, the mammoth right tackle remains on the Raiders’ COVID list. However, a hope exists Brown can receive clearance to resume workouts next week, Schefter tweets. Brown is naturally at higher risk of developing severe symptoms from the virus compared to most players, due to his weight (380 pounds), but he wants to play again this season. The Raiders have placed Brown on their virus list twice this year, the second time due to a pregame issue in Cleveland resulting in the 27-year-old blocker being hospitalized.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/18/20
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DE Jonathan Wynn
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Trajan Bandy, CB Donnie Lewis
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Artavis Scott
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DL David Irving
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Kendall Blanton, DB Jake Gervase, WR J.J. Koski
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Andre Patton
New England Patriots
- Signed: DT Nick Thurman
- Activated from practice squad IR: TE Jake Burt
Raiders To Host DE Vic Beasley
A suddenly depleted Raiders team brought in Vic Beasley for a workout, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). This comes after a host of Las Vegas defensive linemen landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Despite signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal this offseason, the Titans cut bait earlier this month. The former Falcons first-round pick did not enjoy a productive stay in Nashville. After not reporting to camp on time, Beasley did not record a sack as a Titan.
The Raiders have Clelin Ferrell and Arden Key on their reserve/COVID list. While Beasley would not factor into practices this week — due to COVID-19 protocols — he could serve as a Ferrell replacement. The 2019 top-five pick tested positive for the coronavirus and will be in danger of missing Week 12 after sitting out Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.
Although Beasley washed out with the Titans and saw his trade market dry up last season, he enjoyed productive stretches in Atlanta. Beasley’s 15.5-sack 2016 secured him an All-Pro honor, and after the Falcons did not trade him last season, he produced a strong finish and ended the ’19 season with eight sacks. Beasley is also a Clemson alum, which is notable considering the current Raiders regime’s bevy of investments in the ACC program’s prospects.
The Raiders have struggled to pressure quarterbacks since trading Khalil Mack. Their 11 sacks are 31st in the league, with only the Jaguars (nine) accumulating fewer QB drops than the long-pass rusher-starved Silver and Black.