Las Vegas Raiders

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, a diehard Las Vegas Raiders fan, is lobbying for The Silver and Black to sign Odell Beckham Jr. 

Lillard posted a picture of Beckham photoshopped in a Raiders jersey to his Instagram on Sunday with the caption, "Make it happen @raiders." 

The Browns are set to place Beckham on waivers Monday to be claimed by any team. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday that multiple executives believe Beckham will clear waivers. 

This isn't the first time Lillard has lobbied for the Raiders to add Beckham, either. In October 2019, the six-time All-Star tweeted the following:

However, it's unclear if the Raiders will show any interest in claiming the three-time Pro Bowler. On Sunday, DeSean Jackson told Josina Anderson of CBS Sports that he will be signing with Las Vegas after his release from the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are adding a three-time Pro Bowler to their offense, as wide receiver DeSean Jackson told USA Today's Josina Anderson on Sunday that he is going to the team.

This comes after the Los Angeles Rams announced that they released the 34-year-old after they were unable to trade him prior to the Nov. 2 deadline.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Rams and Jackson "explored trade possibilities" and the wide receiver would have been open to potentially staying. However, the decision to release him gave him the opportunity to search for a team that could offer him more playing time.

"I think what it boils down to is opportunities that I think he's deserving of and the situation and some of the circumstances that surround him," Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters.

Los Angeles signed Jackson to a one-year contract prior to the 2021 campaign with the hope he could be a deep threat alongside Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, who are more known for their underneath routes as possession receivers.

Yet the emergence of Van Jefferson as the team's third receiver left little playing time for the University of California product, who had just eight catches for 221 yards and one touchdown through seven games at the time of his release.

There was a time when Jackson, who was a second-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008, was one of the top deep threats in the league.

He has played for the Eagles, Washington Football Team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rams and has five seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards on his resume.

However, he is in his mid-30s and appeared in just three games in 2019 and five games in 2020 before struggling to find a role with Los Angeles in 2021.

Perhaps he can rediscover some of his old explosiveness with the Raiders while catching passes from Derek Carr.

If he does, Las Vegas will have quite the combination with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow catching passes on underneath routes and Jackson looking to take the top off the defense on deep routes.

The Raiders are 5-3 and in first in the AFC West. They now have a low-risk, high-reward addition who can give the aerial attack another weapon as they look to make a playoff push in the season's stretch run.

The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly "taking their time" with DeSean Jackson as they wait for a resolution to the Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

NFL reporter Mike Silver reported Jackson had a Zoom call with the Raiders on Saturday and could sign with the team as early as Monday. The veteran began the season with the Los Angeles Rams, but he was waived after they were unable to work out a trade before Tuesday's deadline.

Jackson could fill a need for the Raiders at wide receiver after the team released Henry Ruggs III, who was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death as well as reckless driving.

The Raiders also have a chance to add Beckham, who will be placed on waivers Monday after falling out of favor with the Cleveland Browns, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Teams can claim Beckham off waivers, with the order being in reverse of the standings, although the winning team would have to take on the remaining $7.25 million of his 2021 salary. The Raiders currently only have $3.1 million left in salary-cap space, per Spotrac. 

It means Las Vegas couldn't roster the wideout without making other moves, but it could still be an interesting destination of Beckham clears waivers.

Beckham reportedly wants to go to a contender, per Schefter, which makes the Raiders a good fit as they are first place in the AFC West at 5-2. Without many other proven receivers on the roster, he could also play a major role going forward.

Considering Beckham's upside as someone with an average of 80.3 receiving yards per game over his career, it's worth the Raiders seeing if he can become available on waivers or or afterward.

This puts a potential signing for Jackson on the back burner.

The 34-year-old could still make a positive impact if he joins the team as a proven deep threat who has averaged 17.5 yards per catch in his career. Jackson finished with 120 receiving yards and a touchdown of 75 yards in a Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Las Vegas will hope Jackson doesn't decide to sign with another team first. 

DeSean Jackson reportedly has a number of suitors after the Los Angeles Rams released him this week.

Per Michael Silver of Bally Sports, Jackson spoke with Las Vegas Raiders officials on a Zoom call Saturday.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo added there are seven teams currently in the mix for Jackson.

The Rams announced Tuesday that they released the three-time Pro Bowler after they were unable to find a trade partner.

The Raiders appear to be in the market for another wide receiver, but it doesn't sound like they are going to make a play for arguably the biggest name that will be available.

Silver reported Friday that he doesn't anticipate Las Vegas going after Odell Beckham Jr. when his release from the Cleveland Browns becomes final.

One reason the Raiders may not pursue Beckham is related to their cap situation. They currently have $2.9 million in space available, per Over the Cap.

Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Beckham's reworked deal with the Browns includes $4.25 million in salary and a $3 million roster bonus for the rest of the 2021 season.

If a team claims Beckham on waivers, they will be on the hook for his remaining salary and the roster bonus. If the veteran wideout goes unclaimed, the Browns will have to pay the remaining salary and Beckham becomes a free agent.

Jackson cleared waivers Thursday, making him eligible to sign with any team. He showed tremendous big-play potential in limited action with the Rams.

The 34-year-old averaged 27.6 yards per reception on eight catches this season. He only played a total of 100 snaps in seven games with Los Angeles prior to being released, per Pro Football Reference.    

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is facing five charges, including four felonies, stemming from a fatal crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog early Tuesday morning.

Per TMZ Sports, the court records show that the felonies are DUI resulting in death, DUI resulting in substantial bodily harm and two reckless driving charges.

Ruggs is also charged with possessing a gun under the influence of alcohol, a misdemeanor.

Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Ruggs is facing up to 46 years in prison.

The 22-year-old Ruggs is accused of going as fast as 156 mph before hitting the back of Tintor's vehicle at 127 mph on a Las Vegas road early Tuesday morning.

Eric Bauman, the Chief Deputy District Attorney for Clark County, told the court that Ruggs' blood alcohol level was .16 percent, or twice the legal limit, per Katelyn Newberg of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure ordered that Ruggs be held on $150,000 bail. Ruggs posted bond and was home Wednesday evening under the highest level of electronic monitoring possible, per Bonaventure's orders.

Ruggs' girlfriend, Rudy Washington, was a passenger in the car at the time of the crash. She suffered a serious arm injury that required surgery, per NPR's Jaclyn Diaz.

Per Newberg, police said Ruggs was driving his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette on Rainbow Boulevard when he moved to the right lane and hit Tintor's Toyota Rav4 from behind.

The Toyota became engulfed in flames and was sent over 570 feet down the road.

The Raiders released Ruggs, who was in the middle of his second NFL season, on Tuesday evening.

A woman has filed a lawsuit against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette that says he was responsible for a car crash in October 2020 that left her with injuries.

According to TMZ Sports, the woman alleged in the lawsuit that Arnette caused damages in excess of $92,000. She also said she has dealt with head trauma, shoulder, neck and back pain, depression and panic attacks since the crash.

Police said Arnette was cited for failure to maintain travel lane and duty to stop at a property damage accident after he allegedly made a dangerous turn into the parking lot of the Raiders' team facility.

The police report said Arnette admitted to making an unsafe turn and causing the crash. It also said Arnette left because he was "running late to a meeting at work" but had a friend remain at the scene to provide his information.

Police said the friend tried to take the fall for Arnette rather than leaving his info, but Arnette was later reached by police at the team facility.

In reference to the lawsuit, Arnette's lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, said: "Mr. Arnette denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to addressing these claims through the court process."

The 25-year-old Arnette is in the midst of his second NFL season after the Raiders selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft out of Ohio State.

Arnette has appeared in only four games this season and is on injured reserve with a groin injury suffered in Week 4.

News of the lawsuit against Arnette comes after former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was involved in a car crash that resulted in the death of a 23-year-old woman in Las Vegas early Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors said Ruggs reached a speed of 156 mph and had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit in Nevada before crashing into the woman's car.

Ruggs is facing felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving, and he was released by the Raiders on Tuesday.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said the organization would not abandon released wideout Henry Ruggs III after he was arrested and charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving following a car crash that killed 23-year-old Tina Tintor. 

"We released Henry Ruggs the football player," Davis said, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Henry Ruggs is still a human being and Raider alumni and somebody that we want to help. We'll be there for him."

Quarterback Derek Carr also said he would support Ruggs:

Chief Deputy District Attorney Eric Bauman said the 22-year-old Ruggs was traveling 156 mph in his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette two seconds before hitting the back of Tintor's vehicle and 127 mph when his airbags deployed. 

Tintor's vehicle then burst into flames and traveled over 570 feet before rolling to a stop. Prosecutors said the crash killed Tintor and her dog, and Ruggs could be facing an additional felony DUI charge after his girlfriend, Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, was also injured in the crash. 

"It's devastating," Davis said of Tintor's death. "Obviously a loss of life ... it's just a tragedy."

"Again, the Tintor family, I just can't fathom that," Raiders offensive coordinator Greg Olson added. "But I also know that Henry Ruggs is not a monster. Henry Ruggs is a good person who made a succession of poor decisions that led to a horrific result."

Ruggs' blood-alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit in Nevada. Per the police report, he was "argumentative and uncooperative" with police after the accident and refused to take a field sobriety test. Instead, he had two blood draws administered at the hospital after police obtained a search warrant. 

"From the answers Ruggs did give, I noticed his speech was slurred and mumbled," the police report stated.

Prosecutors may also file a charge of possession of a firearm while intoxicated against Ruggs. 

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr offered his support for former teammate Henry Ruggs III, who has been charged in a fatal car crash.

"I will always be here for him," Carr told reporters during a press conference Wednesday. "That won't change, and I'll prove that over the course of time to him, not to anybody else. But he needs people to love him right now. He's probably feeling a certain type of way about himself right now, and he needs to be loved. If no one else will do it, I'll do it."

The Raiders announced they released him Tuesday night.

Details of the crash were revealed Wednesday.

Katelyn Newberg of the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted prosecutor Eric Bauman said Ruggs was driving 156 mph right before the crash and was still traveling at 127 mph when the airbags deployed. Bauman also said his blood-alcohol level (0.161 percent) was more than twice the legal limit.

The prosecutor said the wide receiver also had a loaded gun in the car.

Ruggs is facing felony charges of driving under the influence of alcohol resulting in death and reckless driving after the crash killed Tina O. Tintor and her dog, per ESPN. Police said Ruggs' girlfriend, Kiara Je'nai Kilgo-Washington, was in the car and underwent surgery for an arm injury Tuesday.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said he plans on filing a second felony DUI charge because of Kilgo-Washington's injuries and is considering filing a weapons charge. Ruggs could face up to 46 years in prison if he is convicted on all the possible charges.

TMZ Sports reported he posted $150,000 in bail and was released from custody.

Carr and Ruggs were teammates during the past two seasons after the Raiders drafted the wide receiver out of Alabama in 2020.

Henry Ruggs III was traveling 156 mph before the crash early Tuesday morning that left one person dead, prosecutor Eric Bauman said during Ruggs' first court appearance in the case Wednesday, per Katelyn Newberg of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Bauman said the former Las Vegas Raiders receiver had a blood alcohol level of .161, which is more than twice the legal limit, and was in possession of a firearm, per Hector Mejia of 8News. 

A booking photo released Wednesday showed Ruggs in a neck brace:

A report by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department said Ruggs was involved in the collision at 3:39 a.m. Tuesday. 

The Raiders released the receiver Tuesday night. 

"What we have here is a young man who has never been in trouble before," Ruggs' attorney David Chesnoff told the court Wednesday, per Caroline Bleakley of 8News.

Ruggs is facing charges of driving under the influence causing death and reckless driving. Per Bleakley, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Ruggs could face further charges, including a second felony DUI, because his girlfriend, Kiara Kilgo-Washington, was a passenger in the car and suffered serious injuries.

Ruggs' bail was set at $150,000, and he was ordered not to drive and to abstain from alcohol. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison for the DUI charge and up to six years for reckless driving. Ruggs later posted bond after the hearing, per court records (h/t TMZ Sports).

The 22-year-old was in his second year in the NFL after being selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Alabama.