Raiders Sign LB Jamin Davis To Active Roster, Add K Greg Joseph To Practice Squad

Jackson Powers-Johnson is in danger of missing the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury. At least a four-game absence is in store.

As expected, Powers-Johnson has been moved to injured reserve. His spot on the active roster has been filled by means of a promotion rather than an outside addition. The Raiders announced on Tuesday that linebacker Jamin Davis has been signed from the practice squad.

Davis saw a heavy workload early and often during his time in Washington, topping 100 tackles and posting three sacks in 2022. The former first-rounder did not develop as hoped, however, and a position switch to defensive end did not stabilize his career. Davis was cut midway through the 2024 campaign, ending his Commanders tenure.

The Packers intially signed him to the practice squad, but it was with the Vikings that Davis made four appearances late in the season. The 26-year-old finished the campaign as a member of the Jets, but he did not survive roster cuts at the end of training camp this summer. Davis landed with the Raiders on their taxi squad roughly one month ago, and he will now look to remain on the active roster through the remainder of the season.

The Raiders also added a kicker to their taxi squad on Tuesday. Greg Joseph is in place to fill Davis’ practice squad spot. The 31-year-old has made 75 appearances while playing for six teams over the course of his career. Joseph has yet to play this season despite working out for a slew of suitors when they have found themselves in need of a kicker.

Daniel Carlson has appeared in every game for the Raiders this season. The All-Pro has operated as Vegas’ kicker and that is expected to continue barring any injuries. In the event Carlson does miss time, Joseph will be in place to serve as a replacement.

Raiders G Jackson Powers-Johnson To Miss Time

Both of the Raiders’ guards suffered injuries during last night’s game. In the case of Jackson Powers-Johnsonat least, further missed time is in store.

The second-year blocker suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter of Vegas’ loss to Denver. Powers-Johnson was helped off the field and brought at first to the medical tent. Shortly thereafter, he was carted to the locker room and did not return.

“He hurt his ankle, legit,” head coach Pete Carroll said (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “I don’t want to go into any of the details but he hurt his ankle. He’ll be out for a while.”

Further testing will no doubt take place shortly, but based on those remarks Powers-Johnson should not be expected to return in the near future. The 2024 second-round pick saw time at all three interior O-line spots as a rookie after being drafted into the NFL as a center. Powers-Johnson has exclusively worked as a right guard this season, though. His PFF evaluations have fluctuated greatly from one week to the next while attempting to establish himself as a full-time option at that spot.

That process will now be paused as the Oregon product recovers. Powers-Johnson, 22, is attached to his rookie contract through 2027. That will leave plenty of time for him to continue competing for a first-team spot at center or guard upon returning to health. In the meantime, though, Vegas will be shorthanded up front.

Left guard Dylan Parham exited last Thursday’s game. He also suffered an ankle injury and was also unable to return to the contest. Alex Cappa filled in for Powers-Johnson after his departure, and he may be needed for in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. A new plan will also be needed at the other guard spot until Parham is able to suit up again.

Raiders Rumors: Meyers, Stokes, JPJ

The Raiders have placed a high asking price on wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from inquiring about his availability before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Buffalo and Pittsburgh (previously reported) are among the teams that have called Las Vegas, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

Although Meyers will be a free agent after the season, the Raiders are seeking a Day 2 draft pick in return for the soon-to-be 29-year-old. Meyers set career highs with 87 catches, 129 targets, and 1,027 yards during a four-touchdown showing in 2024. His numbers have dipped this year with new starting quarterback Geno Smith running the offense. Six games into his season, Meyers has hauled in 29 of 43 targets for 329 yards and gone without a TD.

Despite Meyers’ drop in production, it’s hardly a shock that the Bills and Steelers have checked in on him ahead of deadline day. Both AFC contenders have been aggressively seeking wideouts.

Outside of slot target Khalil Shakir, Bills receivers have failed to step up. Meanwhile, the Steelers are lacking a proven WR2 behind D.K. Metcalf. The Bills ($1.67MM) and Steelers ($5.89MM) are low in available spending space, meaning either would have to get creative to add Meyers. He’s playing out the year on a $10.5MM base salary and a $14.962MM cap hit.

Aside from Meyers, Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson have also drawn interest, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Stokes is a pending free agent on a last-place team, but the Raiders have told inquiring clubs that they’re uninterested in trading him. The former Packer joined the Raiders on a one-year deal last March and has started in all six of his appearances this year. Stokes is second among Raiders cornerbacks in snap share, while Pro Football Focus ranks his performance a solid 38th among 113 qualifiers at his position.

The Raiders may be more amenable to moving Powers-Johnson, per Breer. While he’s not far removed from going in the second round of the 2024 draft, that was under the previous regime of general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce.

A former Oregon Duck, Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football in 2023. Working at center and guard as a rookie last year, he started in 14 of 15 appearances. Powers-Johnson’s role has changed this season under new head coach Pete Carroll, who has used him exclusively at guard. The 22-year-old has started in five of six games, but Carroll benched him for Alex Cappa in a 31-0 loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. With the Raiders coming out of their bye and set to face the Jaguars on Sunday in their last game before the deadline, Powers-Johnson’s usage will be worth monitoring.

Jordan Meredith Moving Toward Raiders’ C Job; Latest On Team’s CB Situation

Jordan Meredith has been involved in two position battles this year; the second of those has proven transformative. Shifting from guard to center, Meredith is moving toward commandeering the starting job in Pete Carroll‘s first Raiders season.

Playing only guard last season (365 snaps at LG, 209 at RG), Meredith began his offseason battling for a starting position there. As training camp progressed, however, the Raiders have liked what they have seen from the former UDFA at center — to the point he now appears the favorite (per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore) to open the season as the starter.

Meredith looks to have nearly changed the Raiders’ snapper plan, which had been centered (no pun intended) around Jackson Powers-Johnson. But the 2024 second-round pick, after working at center during the offseason program, is now competing at right guard with free agency addition Alex Cappa. This would leave either a second-round pick or an ex-Tom Brady teammate who has 96 career starts on the bench.

Jordan is really holding on to his spot,” Carroll said. “I really like him playing there for us. I think it just helps everybody, and that’s a real positive aspect if your front cover and your center can really communicate, be consistent and be on point all the time.”

Meredith, 27, made eight starts last season but just one over his previous two years. He has impressed a new coaching staff, however, to the point Powers-Johnson — the 2023 Rimington Award winner who became a No. 44 overall pick under Tom Telesco — may not start. Though, Cappa has missed more than a week with a rib injury and has not played in the preseason. That has given Powers-Johnson (14 rookie-year starts at guard and center) a chance to make his RG case; only 29 of Powers-Johnson’s 956 rookie-year snaps came at guard. Dylan Parham is set to start at left guard. Cappa has not worked as a backup since his 2018 rookie season; he is tied to a two-year, $11MM deal ($5.5MM guaranteed).

Cornerback also features a notable position battle. Although Eric Stokes is moving toward his second-chance season involving a Week 1 starting role, third-round rookie Darien Porter‘s grip on the other Las Vegas perimeter job may be slipping as a result of an unlikely source. Kyu Blu Kelly, a 2023 draftee already on his fifth team, is pushing Porter, per Bonsignore, who notes the young journeyman is “tightening his grip” on the first-string job.

Moving from Baltimore to Seattle to Green Bay to Washington to Vegas, Kelly played in four Raider games as a backup last season. His Seahawks stop also came during Carroll’s final season in charge. It would be quite the development if a player cut that many times in two seasons commandeered a starting job by Year 3 — even considering Carroll’s past developing Day 3 cornerback draftees — but Bonsignore notes he started the Raiders’ second preseason game. Carroll said Kelly (zero NFL starts) has “made the push” to be considered for a starting spot.

Stokes residing as the elder statesman among the team’s boundary corners shows how young the Raiders now are at this position. A potential addition is something to monitor as well. Barring a starter-level add, Kelly could have quite the opportunity. Though, such an ascent might be as a placeholder while Porter — chosen in Round 3 and used as a starter for most of the Raiders’ spring and summer work — develops into that role.

Raiders’ Jackson Powers-Johnson Working Exclusively At Center

Despite winning the 2023 Rimington Trophy, given to the best center in college football, Raiders offensive lineman and 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson played more left guard than center in his rookie season. And new GM John Spytek said back in April that free agent acquisition Alex Cappa would compete for one of the guard spots while Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and Jordan Meredith would vie for the other starting guard slot and the starting center gig.

As our Sam Robinson noted at the time, it would be a surprise if Powers-Johnson failed to earn a first-string role in light of his draft pedigree. Considering his collegiate success as a pivot – to say nothing of his promising performance in his first professional season – it makes sense for him to take over as the full-time center.

Per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Powers-Johnson is working exclusively as a snapper this offseason, which is in keeping with previous reports on the matter. JPJ’s ability to focus on one position, coupled with an improvement in his medical status – he missed most of training camp and the first two games of the regular season due to injury in 2024 – has created optimism that he will help spark a considerable improvement on the league’s worst rushing attack (Las Vegas averaged just 79.8 rushing yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry last season).

“I never really had a real offseason at center. I was always playing five or six different positions,” Powers-Johnson said. “So being able to really hone in on one has been awesome.”

Given the presence of veteran center Andre James on last year’s roster, it made sense for the Raiders’ prior regime to cross-train Powers-Johnson. The Oregon product started five games at left guard and then moved to center for six contests when James went down with an injury. Upon James’ return, Powers-Johnson moved back to LG for the final three games of the season.

Las Vegas released James in March, clearing the way for JPJ to assume the starting center job. Although he struggled with penalties as a rookie – according to Pro Football Focus, Powers-Johnson tallied 14 infractions in his 14 starts – PFF did assign him strong grades for his work in pass protection (68.3) and in run-blocking (70.4).

New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s blocking scheme requires a high level of athleticism from its O-linemen, so Powers-Johnson has lost 15 pounds to facilitate the transition to that system. At present, it would seem that the Raiders’ starting offensive front, from left to right, will be Kolton Miller, Parham, Powers-Johnson, Cappa, and Delmar Glaze. That group will be blocking for promising rookie RB Ashton Jeanty, whom the Raiders selected with this year’s No. 6 overall pick.

AFC West Notes: Thuney, Chiefs, Raiders

While the Chiefs again turned to Patrick Mahomes‘ increasingly team-friendly contract for a restructure to create cap space, they did move on from a core player to make room for Trey Smith‘s franchise tag. Kansas City traded three-time All-Pro Joe Thuney to Chicago, moving the guard’s contract-year salary off the books after tagging Smith. The team then re-signed Nick Bolton. Signed when the Chiefs transformed their O-line following a Super Bowl LV blowout loss, Thuney gave the Chiefs stability at left guard.

As the years go on and we hope to keep this winning tradition up and have sustained success, it only becomes more difficult,” GM Brett Veach said during his pre-draft press conference. “(We) knew early on that we would be limited and that was obviously the reason why we had to make that trade with Chicago with Thuney. I mean, that was a player that we loved, and it was gut-wrenching to have to do that, but you had to do it.”

The Thuney trade saved the Chiefs $16MM in cap space but created a hole at LG. Kingsley Suamataia, who won the team’s LT job out of training camp only to be benched in Week 2, is expected to have a good chance to win succeed Thuney alongside new LT starter Jaylon Moore. Thuney missed just four games due to injury in four seasons, two of them coming to close out the 2023 campaign, but he is going into an age-33 season. It made sense for the Chiefs to swap out high guard salaries, as Smith will turn 26 this year.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • Despite showing interest in retaining Tre’von Moehrig, the Raiders let the young safety walk in free agency. The Panthers gave Moehrig a three-year, $51MM deal — now the league’s fifth-most lucrative safety contract — and the Raiders added Jeremy Chinn on a lower-cost contract (two years, $16.26MM). Las Vegas also lost Marcus Epps in free agency, re-signing Isaiah Pola-Mao (two years, $7.45MM). The latter is expected to see plenty of snaps alongside Chinn, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore, who notes the Raiders like their in-house safeties post-Moehrig. Pola-Mao, a 2022 UDFA, made 14 starts in place of Epps last season. It appears the former post-draft find has a clear path to keeping that role.
  • The Raiders moved Hunter Renfrow back onto their radar, hosting the former Jon Gruden-era draftee on a free agency visit recently. Renfrow did not play last season and fell out of favor with the Raiders fairly soon after being given a two-year, $32MM extension during Josh McDaniels‘ first months on the job. No reunion has taken place, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur views it as unlikely. A post-draft reassessment could take place at receiver, depending on how the Raiders fare next week, but Renfrow (29) may need to look elsewhere to secure a comeback opportunity.
  • Kolton Miller is locked into a starting job, as he angles for a new contract, while DJ Glaze would appear to have the inside track to the Raiders’ right tackle gig. But the interior O-line will bring competition. Alex Cappa‘s two-year, $11MM contract points to the ex-Buccaneer and Bengal starter landing one of the jobs, but GM John Spytek said the FA addition will join holdovers Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jordan Meredith and Dylan Parham in competition. Cappa will vie for one of the guard spots, while Spytek said (via Tafur) the other three will compete for the guard and center roles. Parham has started at both positions over the past two seasons, while Meredith split his eight starts at both LG and RG last season. It would surprise if Powers-Johnson, a 2024 second-round pick, failed to win a job considering his draft pedigree. A move to center makes sense, as the Oregon product won the Rimington Award in 2023.
  • Linked to a few veteran wideouts this offseason, the Broncos are planning to add at the position. Though, it is not known if a significant addition will come via an early-round draft pick or a post-draft free agency move.

OL Notes: Broncos, Wattenberg, Raiders, Cowboys, Beebe, Patriots, Giants, Neal

The center position sticks out on Denver’s offensive line. Four eight-figure-per-year contracts populate the Broncos‘ front, giving Bo Nix a solid batch of blockers as he begins his career. But the team did not bring in a starter-caliber player to replace Lloyd Cushenberry, who signed a big-ticket deal with the Titans. A matchup of recent Day 3 picks in training camp is close to being resolved. Luke Wattenberg has started Denver’s two preseason games, and the coaching staff views the 2022 fifth-rounder as having made great strides ahead of his third season. Wattenberg should be considered the favorite to start over 2023 seventh-rounder Alex Forsyth (despite the latter having been Nix’s 2022 center at Oregon), per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

A Washington alum already going into his age-27 season, Wattenberg has two seasons left on his rookie contract. He has played 128 career snaps. This will be an adjustment for the Broncos, who used Cushenberry as a starter for four seasons. But Wattenberg’s fifth-round contract will mesh well on a line with Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Mike McGlinchey and now Quinn Meinerz on pricey deals.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks:

  • The Patriots will of course look into additions on the waiver wire, when hundreds of cut players will be available come Wednesday, but de facto GM Eliot Wolf said (via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian) the team is content with its current mix up front. In addition to being without left guard Cole Strange, the Pats have not named their starting tackles. It appears to be trending toward 2023 late-August trade pickup Vederian Lowe at LT and street FA addition Chukwuma Okorafor at RT, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed writes. Jerod Mayo both said he had wanted an O-line settled before the third preseason game and that Drake Maye‘s short outing in the preseason opener came from an uneasiness about the front five. This does not paint a picture of stability entering the season, which would make it rather interesting if Mayo and Wolf opted to open the year with Maye starting.
  • Cooper Beebe had been mentioned as a strong candidate to replace Tyler Biadasz as the Cowboys‘ center, but Brock Hoffman — a 2022 UDFA who started two games last season — had worked exclusively in that spot during most of training camp. Beebe, however, has received first-team work recently, Saad Youself of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Since that insertion, Beebe looks to be moving toward landing the gig. The third-round rookie appears the more likely starter, Yousef adds, with Hoffman — despite his weeks-long run with the first unit — seemingly ticketed for a backup role.
  • After a shoulder injury kept Jackson Powers-Johnson out of OTAs, and a concussion sustained at minicamp sidelined the second-round pick for months. Powers-Johnson only returned to Raiders practice recently. The team had hoped the Oregon center would win its LG job from the jump, but the time off will likely delay his start to the season. Antonio Pierce said (via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed) Powers-Johnson is unlikely for Week 1. Free agent signing Cody Whitehair has worked as Las Vegas’ starting LG and is poised to keep that role to open the season. The Bears demoted the longtime starter midway through last season, making his Raiders fit — with ex-Bears OC Luke Getsy calling the shots — interesting. But the 32-year-old blocker looks like a Week 1 starter.
  • Last year’s Raiders RG starter, Greg Van Roten is reprising his right-side tandem with Jermaine Eluemunor in New York. If Giants center John Michael Schmitz misses time, however, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan expects the recently added guard to slide to center. Free agent pickup Aaron Stinnie would replace Van Roten, 34, at guard in this scenario.
  • Duggan drops another concerning nugget about Evan Neal‘s status as well, indicating the displaced RT starter is not a lock to be active on gamedays due to only taking reps at right tackle since coming back from ankle surgery. Joshua Ezeudu, who has worked at both left and right tackle spots during camp, would be the Giants’ swing tackle if Neal’s transition from top-10 pick to healthy scratch actually happens.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

OL Notes: Raiders, Giants, Brewer, Nijman

The Raiders had been planning to have Thayer Munford replace Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle, but a hand injury early in camp created a competition. Third-round rookie DJ Glaze has earned more first-team reps upon Munford returning. While The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes Munford — a 2022 seventh-rounder who competed with Eluemunor for the RT job last summer and saw action at both tackle spots during the season — still has the edge, Glaze has created a position battle (subscription required). Glaze’s chances at earning this job may also have increased Tuesday, with Reed adding Munford sustained an injury to his other hand.

Elsewhere on the Raiders’ front, second-round rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson remains on the active/PUP list. The Oregon product has been out of Raiders practice since early in OTAs, with a concussion sidelining him. Considering the timeline here, it is concerning how long the rookie has been out. Antonio Pierce did say (via Reed) he expects Powers-Johnson and LT Kolton Miller to begin practicing next week, but the former’s chances of winning the LG job — which the Raiders appeared to have earmarked for the Day 2 draftee — have taken a hit. The team does have veteran options in Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat; the latter has been working at tackle while Miller has rehabbed.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks around the league.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

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