Mario Edwards Jr. - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Activate Mario Edwards

December 23rd, 2016 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders exchanged edge defenders on their active roster in advance of their Week 16 game against the Colts, activating Mario Edwards and placing Shilique Calhoun on IR, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets.

Edwards appears ready at long last to make his 2016 debut after an arduous road back from a preseason hip injury initially thought to be closer to minor in nature than a four-month-negating malady. The second-year defensive end played in the Raiders’ first preseason game but has not seen regular-season time since Week 15 of the 2015 season.

Oakland carried Edwards on its IR list all season, seeing Edwards return to practice earlier this month, and will potentially receive a boost for a 30th-ranked defense.

An edge player in Oakland’s 4-3 but an interior presence on passing downs, the former second-round pick graded as a top-10 run-stopper, per Pro Football Focus, last season among edge defenders. But he’s been a non-factor for more than a year due to this slow-progressing hip ailment and the neck injury from last December that caused him to miss several months. Edwards wasn’t cleared until May to participate in Raiders OTAs.

Edwards registered 41 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble as a rookie and figures to, if able to contribute on a part-time basis in all likelihood, factor into the Raiders’ defensive line mix. Denico Autry, Stacy McGee and Jihad Ward have done the bulk of the work in this role opposite Khalil Mack. With Mack and Bruce Irvin being the edge players on passing downs, it’s been on the aforementioned trio to rush from the inside — something Edwards did fairly effectively last season.

A third-round rookie, Calhoun played in 10 games for the Silver and Black this season but did not contribute much statistically, registering five tackles and a pass deflection as a reserve pass-rusher.

Extra Points: Palmer, Edwards Jr., Trubisky

December 18th, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Which quarterbacks will be available this offseason? NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal has you covered. Besides listing the impending free agents (including Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins), the writer also takes a look at several trade and release candidates.

The writer’s list of potential trade candidates is led by Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, while Tony Romo (Cowboys), Tyrod Taylor (Bills), and A.J. McCarron (Bengals) also earn mentions. Meanwhile, Rosenthal’s release candidates include Jay Cutler (Bears), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Robert Griffin III (Browns), and Nick Foles (Chiefs).

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…

Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer has struggled for stretches this season, but the veteran doesn’t sound like he’s considering retirement. “Haven’t thought about next year but I expect to play in 2017,” the 36-year-old said today (via Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 on Twitter).
UNC QB Mitch Trubisky still hasn’t decided whether he’ll forego his senior season and declare for the NFL draft, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Trubisky has had a breakout campaign, compiling 3,468 yards, 28 touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. said he had a “very solid workout” yesterday, and Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the second-year player could make his season debut next week. Edwards hasn’t played since injuring his hip during the preseason.
As organization’s begin to look at potential general manager candidates for next season, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss says that Patriots director of college scouting Monti Ossenfort could be pursued. Reiss cites the success of four current NFL general managers who “cut their teeth” in New England: Bob Quinn (Lions,) Jon Robinson (Titans), Thomas Dimitroff (Falcons), and Jason Licht (Buccaneers).

Raiders’ Mario Edwards Jr. To Return From IR

December 5th, 2016 at 6:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have designated defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. as their player to return from injured reserve, tweets Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com, who adds that Edwards is expected to practice tomorrow. Oakland now has three weeks to place Edwards on the active roster, or he will stay on IR for the remainder of the season. The Raider expect Edwards to return to action for their December 19 game against the Chargers, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Nearly a certain lock to make the playoffs following yesterday’s win over the Bills, the Raiders are still fighting to win the AFC West and face a massive contest against the Chiefs on Thursday night. But the one area of the Oakland roster that could use a boost is the club’s defense, and Edwards will certainly provide a spark if he’s able to get back on the field. By DVOA, the Raiders’ defense ranks just 26th, and the team’s defensive line places only 28th against both the run and pass.

When healthy, Edwards served as a bright spot for the Raiders last year, racking up 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games. He worked at both end and tackle along the way and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. Edwards figures to complement superstar Khalil Mack and first-year Raider Bruce Irvin in an attempt to improve Oakland’s front four during the stretch run.

Oakland’s decision to bring Edwards off injured reserve means that tight end Lee Smith and linebacker Ben Heeney — both of whom have could have potentially returned this year — will remain on IR from the rest of the season.

AFC Notes: Green, Broncos, Raiders

December 2nd, 2016 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green is progressing in his recovery from the hamstring injury he suffered Nov. 20, but he’ll miss Sunday’s game against the Eagles, according to Bob Holzman of ESPN. Although the 3-7-1 Bengals are all but out of playoff contention, the five-time Pro Bowler has no plans to shut himself down for the season. “I want to get back,” he told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “No matter what type of season we have, I’m not the type of guy to cash it in. So, whenever it’s ready, I’ll be ready to go. But, I’m not going to rush it because I’m not going to have this be a continuing issue.”

Mario Edwards Without Return Date

November 19th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mario Edwards‘ timetable continues to be delayed as he deals with what’s turned out to be another significant injury. The second-year Raiders defensive lineman has yet to resume practicing, according to Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group, who notes the prolonged absence will likely extend into Week 12 and potentially beyond.

More than a month ago, the talk coming out of Oakland placed Edwards’ timetable at being on schedule for a Week 9 return, which would have been the earliest Edwards could have been activated. He’s been eligible to practice for over a month.

Oakland’s top interior pass-rusher is considerably behind Jack Del Rio‘s October projection as the Raiders prepare for their Mexico City game against the Texans. Prior to that, August early reports pegged Edwards as being set to miss one or two regular-season games with his hip injury, so the 2015 second-round pick is facing the prospect of a lost season.

The Raiders still have to designate Edwards as their IR-return candidate, and he will almost certainly need some acclimation time before returning even as a role player. Oakland would have three weeks to activate Edwards once he returns to practice. So, it seems likely December could be Edwards’ new best-case return scenario for game work.

It’s been assumed the 6-foot-5 interior pass-rushing talent would be the player the Raiders bring back from IR, but the former Florida State performer not having practiced yet further delays this process. Oakland has just four players on IR, with blocking tight end Lee Smith (broken bone in his foot) being the highest-profile cog among those aside from Edwards.

This continues a trend for the promising player, who saw a neck injury end his rookie slate and nag him to the point he didn’t receive full clearance to return until May. He made 42 tackles and two sacks last season, being a top-10 run-stopper among edge defenders — per Pro Football Focus — but also helping as an inside presence on passing downs.

The Raiders have used Stacy McGee in that role this season, and the former sixth-round selection’s 2.5 sacks are second on the team to Khalil Mack‘s seven. He’s missed the past two games, however. Having Edwards would help the league’s 29th-ranked defense. Although, it can no longer be assumed the injured talent will be able to return at full strength to provide the help most assumed he would after he went down in August.

Raiders’ Mario Edwards To Return Week 9?

October 11th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio expects defensive lineman Mario Edwards to return from injured reserve in Week 9, the earliest date that Edwards can get back to game action, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Edwards, who suffered a hip injury during the preseason, can start practicing again on Monday after Oakland faces the Chiefs.

[RELATED: Raiders Sign Perry Riley]

Injuries have been a common theme in the brief NFL career of Edwards, whom the Raiders chose in the second round of last year’s draft. The ex-Florida State Seminole suffered a mysterious neck injury that prematurely ended his rookie season, and he didn’t receive medical clearance to return until May.

When healthy, Edwards served as a bright spot for the Raiders last year, racking up 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games. He worked at both end and tackle along the way and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. Edwards figured to complement superstar Khalil Mack and new acquisition Bruce Irvin in an improved Raiders pass rush this year, but the club will have to wait until at least November to see the trio in action at the same time.

Oakland could certainly use the return of Edwards, as the club’s defense has ranked as one of the league’s worst through five games. The Raiders rank 29th in defensive DVOA, including a No. 29 rank against the pass and a No. 21 rank against the run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Place Mario Edwards On IR

September 5th, 2016 at 5:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Raiders have placed defensive lineman Mario Edwards on injured reserve, Adam Caplan of ESPN was among those to report (Twitter link). Edwards suffered a hip injury during the team’s exhibition opener last month and will now miss at least the first eight games of the regular season.

Injuries have been a common theme in the brief NFL career of Edwards, whom the Raiders chose in the second round of last year’s draft. The ex-Florida State Seminole suffered a mysterious neck injury that prematurely ended his rookie season, and he didn’t receive medical clearance to return until May.

When healthy, Edwards served as a bright spot for the Raiders last year, racking up 42 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 14 games. He worked at both end and tackle along the way and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. Edwards figured to complement superstar Khalil Mack and new acquisition Bruce Irvin in an improved Raiders pass rush this year, but the club will have to wait until at least November to see the trio in action at the same time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mario Edwards To Miss First Six Games?

August 31st, 2016 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mario Edwards resides as a key piece for the Raiders’ retooled defense but hasn’t practiced since suffering a hip injury during the team’s first preseason game. Initially believed to be in line to miss one or two regular-season games, Edwards could now be an IR list candidate.

Jack Del Rio told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle the second-year defensive end may need to start the season with this distinction, which would shelve Edwards for a minimum of six games and deal a blow to the Raiders’ front.

The previous IR-DTR format has been altered, giving teams the option of removing one player from IR after he’s spent six weeks there and is again healthy enough to play.

This would allow Oakland to use an extra roster spot for a depth player while Edwards continues his rehabilitation but would also potentially stunt the development of a talented performer. Edwards functioned as a defensive end and and defensive tackle for the Raiders last season, rating as one of Pro Football Focus’ best run-stoppers among edge defenders. He only registered two sacks as a rookie but stood to benefit from the Raiders’ acquisition of Bruce Irvin, with the 2015 second-round pick being set to rush from the interior on passing downs.

Edwards, of course, needed extensive rehab time to make it back to the field in time for minicamp. A mysterious neck injury ended his rookie season in December, and the former Florida State talent wasn’t cleared medically to return until May. The Raiders are deciding whether or not to allow Edwards extra time to heal this latest setback and return by late October.

In Edwards’ place, Oakland has been running out third-year veteran Denico Autry, a third-year UDFA. The Raiders also drafted Jihad Ward in the second round, and the former Illinois cog lined up across the Fighting Illini’s defensive fronts. So, the team has more options than it did a season ago when Edwards went down.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Edwards, Broncos

August 13th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joey Bosa‘s relationship with the Chargers did not include much of a honeymoon, with the sides still at an impasse over offset language and the structure of the No. 3 overall pick’s signing bonus. While some have sided with Bosa given the Chargers’ 21st-century history in dealing with draft picks, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Bosa should be in camp by now. The Bolts make their preseason debut today.

Using the negotiations between Antonio Gates and the Chargers in 2005 and ’10 — both of which involved meetings with then-GM A.J. Smith to close the deals — Acee argues the onus is now on Bosa to make a decision on the team’s offer, which has reportedly been unchanged since training camp began.

The Chargers will play their second preseason game on Friday, and Bosa stands to miss at least that tilt as well at this juncture. We heard recently the relationship between Bosa and the Bolts could have endured “irreparable damage,” which is something the Chargers have experienced recently with Eric Weddle, but Acee points to several instances where rookies held out well into the preseason only to re-sign with the Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson and Philip Rivers are among those, although both of the franchise icons’ delayed debuts came during an era where those were commonplace.

Here’s more out of San Diego and in the AFC West.

The Chargers’ latest pitch to voters regarding their downtown stadium measure is that fans of other teams will be paying for the $1.8 billion stadium/convention center project as opposed to Bolts backers. Their latest ad campaign states the stadium will be paid for by “Raiders, Broncos and Patriots fans,” as Brett Schrotenboer of USA Today points out. This is based around the stadium finance plan regarding the use of public money — which will be voted upon Nov. 8 — using a hotel tax hike. Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts voices over the piece, which is aimed at continuing to raise support for a ballot measure that, as of now, needs a two-thirds majority to pass this fall. Most experts deem that unlikely.
Mario Edwards left Friday’s Raiders-Cardinals game on a cart with a hip injury and needed crutches to leave the locker room, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Edwards in May received medical clearance to return from the nagging neck injury he sustained last season and remains a key component for Oakland’s defensive front despite the bevy of additions this offseason brought.
Currently the clubhouse leader to become the Broncos‘ No. 3 wideout, Bennie Fowler is expected to miss at least a few weeks with a fractured elbow, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports. Now vying with Cody Latimer and Jordan Norwood for that position, Fowler — a former UDFA from Michigan State — caught 16 passes for 203 yards as a rookie last season.
Many have doubted Gary Kubiak when he’s said 2015 third-stringer and seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian had a legitimate shot to win the quarterback job over Mark Sanchez, but Jhabvala notes history should lead skeptics to take the second-year coach at his word. Kubiak refused to say Peyton Manning had been benched for Brock Osweiler when many expected the healthier Osweiler to keep the job throughout once Manning returned to sufficient health. Sanchez and Siemian, their disparate profiles notwithstanding, have split reps in practice and each played a quarter on Thursday night in the defending champions’ preseason opener.

West Notes: Woodley, P. Lynch, Cards, Raiders

May 6th, 2016 at 9:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Lamarr Woodley offered scathing reviews of two of his former defensive coordinators, the Cardinals’ James Bettcher and ex-Raiders assistant Jason Tarver (now with San Francisco), on the latest edition of his podcast (per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic).

“In Oakland, we had a dumb defensive coordinator and in Arizona, we had a dumb defensive coordinator,” he said.

Woodley didn’t mention either Bettcher or Tarver by name, but given that he only spent one year with both teams, it’s clear he was referring to them.

He continued, “They thought we were like Madden players. They’d draw something up and on paper it looked good, but the players still have to go out there and run it. Those guys didn’t really listen to their players. They wanted to do it their way and their way only.”

Woodley also ripped into Bettcher for his game plan in the Cardinals’ 49-15 loss to Carolina in the NFC championship.

“It wasn’t because we had bad players. No, our defensive coordinator he didn’t have the common sense to talk to his players to make the adjustments. Because he just wanted to do things his way those are the results we got, bottom line,” he said.

Woodley didn’t play in the title round (or any Cardinals game beyond Nov. 22) because he was on injured reserve. The 31-year-old appeared in just 16 contests over the previous two seasons with the Raiders and Cardinals, combining for 15 tackles and a sack. Woodley was a far more productive player from 2007-13 in Pittsburgh, with which he piled up 58 sacks.

And now the latest from the AFC West:

Quarterback Mark Sanchez might not be at the Broncos’ helm for long if first-rounder Paxton Lynch forces the team’s hand, which is something general manager John Elway believes the ex-Memphis standout is capable of doing. “We think he’s going to be ready quicker than a lot of people think,” Elway told Denver Sports 760 (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). On why the Broncos decided to trade up in the first round for the 6-foot-7 Lynch, Elway said, “He’s a young guy with tremendous athletic ability, he’s got the strong arm, can make all the throws, he’s smart, and he’s a guy that can fit into this offense real well.”
While Elway sees the Lynch era approaching, Troy Renck of the Denver Post cautions that patience is in order. As Renck writes, Lynch hasn’t played in a pro-style offense since his freshman year at Memphis – which is the last time he was even in a huddle – and his play calls there were far less complicated than they will be in Denver. Moreover, the Broncos would be unwise to rush Lynch into the lineup to serve as a game manager, Renck opines. The club should instead wait until the 22-year-old is truly ready and let him take advantage of his strengths, namely his big arm and elusiveness.
Raiders defensive end Mario Edwards has been given medical clearance to resume his career, he announced Friday on Instagram (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). A serious neck injury brought a premature end to Edwards’ rookie campaign after he had started in 10 of 14 appearances and tallied three forced fumbles and two sacks. For his work last season, the second-rounder from Florida State ranked an impressive 32nd out of 110 qualifying edge defenders at Pro Football Focus (subscription required).