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The Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly signing defensive end David Irving four days after he was conditionally reinstated by the NFL.
Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported the deal Tuesday after Irving entered into COVID-19 testing with the team Saturday. Irving reportedly had multiple teams interested in him and will now reunite with defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who coached him in Dallas.
The NFL reinstated Irving on Oct. 16 after suspending him in March 2019 for repeated violations of the league's substance-abuse policy. Irving publicly said he was done with football because of the NFL's drug policy.
"Basically guys, I quit," Irving in an Instagram Live story (h/t Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk). "They want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I'm out of there. I'm not doing this s--t no more."
Irving played four seasons for the Cowboys from 2015 to '18, recording 56 tackles and 12.5 sacks. He had a career-high seven sacks in 2017 while playing eight games.
After being reinstated by the NFL, defensive end David Irving will have a tryout with the Las Vegas Raiders.
ESPN's Field Yates reported Irving, who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2015-18, will work out for the Raiders.
Yates reported Friday that Irving had been conditionally reinstated by the league. He was suspended indefinitely in March 2019 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Days after being suspended, Irving told his followers on Instagram Live (h/t ProFootballTalk's Curtis Crabtree) he was quitting playing in the NFL.
"Basically guys, I quit," Irving said. "They want to talk about a suspension and all this other nonsense. I'm out of there. I'm not doing this s--t no more."
Irving has been an open advocate for the use of marijuana and took a hardline stance against the NFL's previous policy on the drug, using an expletive to describe it on Instagram in August 2018.
The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in March, includes no player suspensions for marijuana.
Prior to leaving the NFL, Irving was one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in the league:
Irving, 27, has only played 10 games in the league since 2017. He would be able to ease back into things if the Raiders sign him.
Las Vegas defensive line coach Rod Marinelli was the Cowboys defensive coordinator during Irving's four-year tenure with the organization.
This isn't the time to lambaste the Las Vegas Raiders for their blockbuster deal that sent star edge-rusher Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears in September 2018. Although we cannot fully judge the long-term effects of the trade, the team hasn't done nearly enough to fill his void. They've tried and come up with minimal returns in multiple ways.
After the first quarter of the season, Vegas is tied for 29th in sacks (four) and quarterback pressures (25). Since 2018, the defense ranks last in the former category with 49 and has placed within the bottom four in the latter statistic each year.
Clearly, Vegas' defensive problems start up front, but what's the root cause of the issue? The coaching staff and talent share culpability. Let's start with the players.
With the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 draft, the Raiders selected Clelin Ferrell—Clemson's leading pass-rusher (21 sacks) between 2017 and 2018.
Thus far, Ferrell has yet to make a significant impact on the pass rush, logging 4.5 sacks and 18 quarterback pressures in 19 games. He doesn't have to measure up to Mack, who's an elite defender, but the Raiders probably expected more than an average strong-side run-stopper from a top-five pick. When clubs select defensive linemen that high, they usually have the ability to pressure quarterbacks with consistency.
Ferrell bulked up to 275 pounds during the offseason. Yet, his added strength and power haven't shown up on film in some spots. He experienced some issues against the New Orleans Saints. Colton Lochhead of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker chimed in:
Ferrell isn't shedding blocks for a high number of stops in run defense, either. In two out of four games this season, he's logged one or zero tackles. Perhaps the second-year pro needed a full offseason to adjust to his heavier frame, because the work over the summer hasn't translated to game days yet.
With that said, Ferrell doesn't carry the responsibility of generating a pass rush alone. Maxx Crosby racked up 10 sacks and placed second in Defensive Rookie of the Year polling with four votes. He's recorded three sacks this season, but two came on plays in which quarterbacks Cam Newton and Josh Allen held on to the ball for extended periods, trying to find an open man downfield.
Crosby doesn't even lead the Raiders in quarterback pressures (four), as that honor belongs to defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (five), who's played 42 percent of defensive snaps through four weeks. The team placed him on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday, which deals a big blow to the defensive line.
In March, the Raiders signed defensive end Carl Nassib, but he's only logged a half-sack and three quarterback pressures, which is an embarrassing return for a player with the fifth-highest 2020 cap hit on the roster at $7.75 million, per Spotrac.
In today's NFL, teams can bring pressure from the interior as well. The Raiders edge-rushers don't have to lead the charge. Last year, in Mike Mayock's first trip to the scouting combine as the team's new general manager, he talked about how a push up the middle affects the top quarterbacks, per Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com:
"Over the years I've talked to almost every top quarterback in the NFL and I've asked them all the same question, 'What bothers you the most?' And almost all every top-flight quarterback says, 'Immediate pressure up the middle.' … If you're getting push up the middle that's difficult. It disturbs sight lines, forces you to readjust your feet.
During free agency, Vegas signed Maliek Collins. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther compared him to two-time All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins (h/t Levi Damien of Raiders Wire):
"I've been around Geno Atkins a long time in his career," Guenther said. "Maliek reminds me a lot of Geno Atkins. He might be our best acquisition of the offseason from what I've seen. He's been tremendous."
Head coach Jon Gruden called Collins the "key" to the defense, but the 3-technique defensive tackle hasn't been able to unlock the pass rush. He's recorded just three tackles and three quarterback pressures in four games.
While it's still early, Collins hasn't looked anything close to Atkins or a significant factor as an interior penetrator.
Then again, with all of this talent, we can also point to the coaches. Since Guenther joined Gruden's staff, the Raiders defense has ranked in the bottom two across multiple categories, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press:
Despite the Raiders' moderate improvement in sacks from 2018 to 2019, Gruden dismissed defensive line coach Brentson Buckner for former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. Gruden told reporters he made the change with the idea it would elevate players from the 2018 class:
"P.J. Hall, [Maurice] Hurst, [Arden] Key, those are three guys that we used high draft picks on. Arden has to stay healthy, P.J. Hall, I'm anxious to see where his weight is, he came in overweight last year and at that position that can't happen. Maurice Hurst has had some good moments, but we need these guys to burst on the scene no question. Getting Rod Marinelli is the best thing I can do to allow that to happen."
The Marinelli effect hasn't kicked in. Hurst has shown flashes, but he's underutilized and now out indefinitely. The Raiders released Hall before the season started, and the 2018 second-rounder has 18 tackles, nine solo, and a sack with the Houston Texans. Key has only two quarterback pressures and one tackle.
Meanwhile, Buckner has seemingly helped guide an Arizona Cardinals defensive front that's recorded 11 sacks (tied for eighth).
During the offseason, the Raiders showed interest in Jadeveon Clowney (h/t Cecil Lammey of 104.3 The Fan) and were "kicking the tires" on Yannick Ngakoue, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The former signed with the Tennessee Titans on a one-year, $13 million deal, and the Minnesota Vikings acquired the latter in exchange for a second-round pick along with a conditional 2022 fifth-rounder.
Hindsight is 20/20, but the Raiders should've had a more aggressive approach in pursuing Clowney or Ngakoue given the state of their defense, which not only struggles to collapse the pocket but ranks 25th against ground attacks. Gruden identified poor tackling and gap discipline as the reason for their struggles against the run.
In order to bolster the front line and finally silence the critics who still question the decision to trade Mack, the Raiders may need another big-time trade before the deadline. Acquiring an impact player such as Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap—who played four seasons under Guenther, two of those Pro Bowl terms—is one possibility. He's unhappy with a reduced role and could be open to a midseason move elsewhere.
If not, quarterback Derek Carr and the offense better prepare to score 34 points per game with little margin for error.
Team and player quarterback pressures provided by Pro Football Reference.
Quarterback Derek Carr knows where things stand between his Las Vegas Raiders and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
"To be honest, to call it a rivalry we have to win some games against them," Carr said Wednesday, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur.
The two teams have been division rivals since before the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Chiefs lead the series, with a 67-53-2 record dating back to 1960, and they are on a five-game winning streak against the Raiders that goes back to 2017. Since 2010, the Chiefs are 13-7 against Las Vegas.
Rookie wideouts Henry Ruggs III (hamstring) and Bryan Edwards (ankle) sat out last week's 30-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium, and it is unclear if either will be available for Week 5. Carr has been without a true No. 1 receiver since Amari Cooper was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 2018, though tight end Darren Waller has shown he is capable of being a security blanket for the signal-caller in the passing game.
The Raiders will take on the Chiefs for the first time in 2020 at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller was fined $30,000 by the NFL for not following COVID-19 protocols at a recent fundraiser, according to Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Several teammates who also attended the event and did not follow the guidelines were fined $15,000, including quarterback Derek Carr:
The Darren Waller Foundation, which helps young adults addicted to drugs and alcohol, held a fundraiser in Las Vegas last Monday, but videos showed a large crowd of people not wearing masks:
According to Vincent Bonsignore and Michael Scott Davidson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Derek Carr, Jason Witten, Zay Jones, Nevin Lawson, Foster Moreau, Hunter Renfrow, Derek Carrier and Nathan Peterman were among the Raiders players in attendance.
The crowd was reportedly also more than double the Nevada state limit of 50 for an indoor gathering. The DragonRidge Country Club was fined $2,000 for hosting the event and not following COVID-19 guidelines.
The Raiders players in attendance all practiced Wednesday and remained active heading into Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.
While there have been no reported positive COVID-19 tests for Raiders players since the season began, the NFL is on high alert after several cases across the league over the past week. The Tennessee Titans have especially had a significant outbreak with at least 20 people testing positive, including 10 players.
The NFL is currently investigating a potential source of the spread and whether the Titans followed proper protocols, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The league has also handed down heavy fines to coaches and teams for not wearing masks during games, including Las Vegas coach Jon Gruden.
Things seemed to be trending in the right direction for the Las Vegas Raiders when they won their first two games of the 2020 campaign.
Those positive feelings are a thing of the past following Sunday's 30-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills, which was the team's second consecutive defeat and left quarterback Derek Carr in a venting mood.
"I'm sick of losing," he said after throwing for 311 yards and two touchdowns, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. "I'm sick of working as hard as I do, and as we do, and going out there and losing. I mean, it sucks. Enough is enough. The things that are hurting us in these close games is not them; it's us. That's the hard part to swallow."
A 2-2 record through four games is far from the end of the Raiders' chances at the postseason even if they are looking up at the 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, but Carr is also just 41-57 in his career.
Gutierrez noted only his brother, David (56), had more quarterback losses than Carr's 55 through his first six years in the league.
Carr lost a key fumble in the fourth quarter and was frustrated after the loss:
"Me being here, my seventh year, I've seen too much crap. I've seen a whole bunch of crap, if I'm just being honest with you.
"Is it going to take my positivity and my joy away? Absolutely not. I'm going to be me, regardless. But is it OK for me to be a little hot, a little pissed sometimes? Yeah. And this is one of those moments."
It wasn't all bad news for the signal-caller, as he passed Ken Stabler for the most touchdown passes in franchise history with his 151st:
Things won't get much easier for the Raiders in the immediate future, as they play Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs and Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next two games.
The Raiders have only made the playoffs once since they selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, and they lost in the AFC Wild Card Round to end their 2016 campaign. In fact, that was the only time Carr finished a season with a winning record in his career.
If Sunday's comments were any indication, he has every intention of adding a second season to that list.
The Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly been fined $50,000 by the NFL for violating locker room protocols amid COVID-19.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Raiders allowed a non-credentialed employee into their locker room following the 34-24 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football in Week 2.
That game marked the Raiders' first at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and the win improved their record to 2-0 before they fell to 2-1 with a loss to the New England Patriots last week.
The NFL has attempted to crack down on COVID-19 violations over the first few weeks of the season, including fining coaches who do not consistently wear face masks or shields on the sidelines.
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is among those who have been fined thus far. After the win over New Orleans, Gruden divulged that he had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and apologized for taking his mask off at times during the game.
COVID-19 is having an especially significant impact on Week 4 of the NFL season. The scheduled game between the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers was moved to Week 7 after 16 Titans players and personnel members were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Also, the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Patriots that was scheduled for Sunday will now be played Monday or Tuesday after players on both teams tested positive for COVID-19:
The Raiders' Week 4 game against the Buffalo Bills in Las Vegas is still on, but some Raiders players came under fire this week for not wearing masks during a charity event run by tight end Darren Waller.
After photos circulated of multiple Raiders players, including quarterback Derek Carr, not wearing masks at the function, Carr said the team "felt terrible" about it.
The Raiders will have a tough test on their hands Sunday when they host a Bills team that owns a perfect 3-0 record in 2020.
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr admitted he and his teammates made a mistake taking off their masks when they attended a charity event on Monday.
We "had a few moments where we slipped up, took the masks off so people could see our face," he said, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.
Carr was joined by backup quarterback Nathan Peterman; tight ends Jason Witten, Foster Moreau and Derek Carrier; wide receivers Zay Jones and Hunter Renfrow; cornerback Nevin Lawson; and center Erik Magnuson at the event designed to raise money for tight end Darren Waller's foundation to help at-risk youths with addiction.
Gutierrez reported that the DragonRidge Country Club was fined $2,000 by the city of Henderson for violating Nevada COVID-19 protocols since there were more than 50 people attending without strict mask-wearing indoors.
Carr said:
"I hate that a few moments without our masks on led to a story about our team and all this kind of stuff, especially after the fines that were brought on a couple of weeks ago. So, we felt terrible about that. We addressed it, we talked with Coach and we talked with our trainers about what really went down and all that kind of stuff."
An NFL spokesperson confirmed that the league is investigating the situation.
This is not the first time the Raiders have been in the headlines for violating COVID-19 protocols.
Earlier this month, head coach Jon Gruden was fined $100,000 because he did not wear his mask the correct way during a win over the New Orleans Saints. The team was fined $250,000 as well, and Gutierrez noted the league is looking into allegations the Raiders had an unauthorized team employee in the locker room after the win.
Gruden also confirmed he had COVID-19 during the offseason following that contest.
"I'm doing my best," he said, per Gutierrez. "I've had the virus. I'm doing my best. I'm very sensitive about it. ... I'm calling plays. I just wanna communicate in these situations, and if I get fined, I'll have to pay the fine, but I'm very sensitive about that and I apologize."
The Raiders are 2-1 and one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. They will host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in front of no fans; the team has announced no spectators will be allowed at Allegiant Stadium this season.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III is reportedly a "long shot" to play in Sunday's Week 4 game against the Buffalo Bills because of a hamstring injury.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Wednesday that Ruggs, who missed the team's Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots with hamstring and knee injuries, "shouldn't have an extended absence."
The Raiders selected the 21-year-old University of Alabama product with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
He made a minor impact across the team's first two games with four catches for 59 yards. He also tallied two carries for 11 yards as Vegas attempted to use his game-breaking speed by designing some receiver runs in an effort to get him the ball in space.
Ruggs suffered the knee injury in the team's Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers, but he didn't think it was serious and was happy with his initial involvement.
"I mean it was big for my first catch to be a big play and pretty much get the game started for the offense," he told reporters. "That was big for me because I want to be one of the guys that can be a spark whenever we need it."
The Raiders will also be without fellow rookie wideout Bryan Edwards against the Bills, per Rapoport.
Tight end Darren Waller is set to serve as quarterback Derek Carr's top target Sunday. Hunter Renfrow and Nelson Agholor will likely draw the start at receiver with Zay Jones and Rico Gafford providing depth.
Vegas will probably need its passing game to put up big numbers despite the absences as it faces a Bills offense that ranks fourth in yardage (434 YPG) and third in scoring (31 PPG).
Ruggs and Edwards' next chance to return would come Oct. 11 in a Week 5 clash with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders have a bye in Week 6 that will likely factor in to the team's decision-making process, though.
The Las Vegas Raiders are investigating a potential violation of local pandemic regulation at a charity function hosted by tight end Darren Waller and attended by numerous players, according to ESPN.
Waller's foundation held a fundraiser in the Henderson neighborhood of Las Vegas to help fight youth addiction, yet numerous players were seen on video without masks while interacting with guests during the indoor event at DragonRidge Country Club.
ESPN notes quarterbacks Derek Carr and Nathan Peterman were present, as were Jason Witten, wideout Zay Jones and cornerback Nevin Lawson.
Players are banned from activities that violate state and local COVID-19 safety regulations by an NFL and NFLPA agreement.
The Raiders have already received a $250,000 fine from the league and head coach Jon Gruden has been fined $100,000 for not properly wearing masks during a Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported soon after that the NFL was investigating the team for allowing unauthorized locker room access following Vegas' victory over the Saints.
The Darren Waller Foundation event would mark the third known instance where members of the Raiders organization violated rules meant to keep players and staffers safer from the coronavirus while helping ensure the season can run as smooth as possible during the pandemic.
That's become even more pressing following news on Tuesday of an outbreak within the Tennessee Titans organization.
Speaking to Vincent Bonsignore and Michael Scott Davidson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Raiders governor Mark Davis expressed his disappointment in seeing players flout the guidelines.
"We obviously take responsibility for this," Davis said. "You don't like seeing this. I don't know that it's actually been built into our memories that you have to wear a mask. Our organization takes it very seriously."
The Raiders are scheduled to host the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
