RAIDERS
Division: AFC WEST
Last year: 8-8
For the second season in a row, the Raiders got off to a surprisingly hot start least year (6-3), kindling hopes among the Faithful of a possible play-off appearance, only to see the defense collapse down the stretch in dramatic fashion, killing the hopes of a thirsty Nation.
OFF-SEASON NEWS
”I learned a long time ago, what makes a man different is what makes him great” - Jon Gruden on Carl Nassib’s announcement.
This is supposed to be a section for “off-season news that affected the team”. In that regard, I hesitated to even include it. I don’t think it qualifies, in that I don’t think it does, or will, affect the team in the slightest.
Still, it’s a big enough deal I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it, even though it has nothing to do with football. So I’m getting it out of the way, right up front, so we can then focus on the Game.
Mercifully, the biggest news this off-season other than the hiring of Gus Bradley was Carl Nassib announcing on social media that he is gay, thus becoming the first openly gay person to be on an NFL roster - emphasis on “openly”. The announcement was met with over-whelming support, from within the locker room, the organization, around the League, and by society at large - to the point that some younger fans’ sincere reaction was “So what?”. Those of us who are a bit older see and appreciate this as a significant cultural milestone. Good for Carl, good for the LGBTQ community, good for the Raiders, good for the NFL and its fans. The Raiders have a proud tradition of embracing cultural advancement, having hired the first Hispanic, and first African American NFL Head Coaches in Tom Flores and Art Shell, respectively. One could argue, we’ve always been the misfits, the outlaws, the outcasts, and the outsiders. To the Raider Nation, that’s what normalcy looks like. Of course Carl is embraced as Family.
Normally, I’m pretty myopic about football. I’m not really interested in the players’ lives outside of the Game. No offense to anyone, but I’m not interested in their faith, their music, or their love lives. At all. It’s all good, but it’s not why I’m here. It should go without saying I wish them, all of them, nothing but happiness and success, on and off the field. What that consists of, for each of them, is for them to define for themselves.
All that being said, I want to acknowledge it took some real courage on Carl’s part to break this ground. It may not be a big deal to me, or many of you, but I imagine it was a very big deal to Carl and a lot of other people who have struggled to be who they are openly in the face of societal pressure. I want to congratulate Carl: for his courage, for his setting an example, and for getting to live his best life, openly.
Now…..let’s talk Ball.
Prologue
“It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears, a world of hope, and a world of fears….” - It’s A Small World; Robert B. & Richard M. Sherman
Like an abstract painting or a Rorschach test, different people look at the Raiders and see different things. Personally, what I see, homer that I undeniably am, is potential. A work in progress. Yes, like a lot of re-models it is way behind schedule, there have been hurdles, set backs, mis-allocated resources, and overt lapses in judgement along the way. There’s no denying it. But looking at the plan and the framework in place, I see potential.
Potential. It’s what Raider Nation has come to live on, year after year. Once again we find ourselves on the brink of the Unknown, loaded with potential. The Gruden era 2.0, has been a tumultuous one, in part because we seem always to be on the brink of “the next level”, but one thing or another, blockbuster trades, psychotic divas, injuries both mysterious and ridiculous, planter fasciitis, a ******* pandemic and subsequent, unprecedented salary cap reduction…seem to derail our best-laid plans and throw our roster into turmoil.
Even by those standards, this year is a year of unknowns. A re-vamped O line, new D coordinator, a host of young talent who have yet to prove it on Sunday, all fraught with….potential. At long last, we may just have, roughly, our roster of the future set before us. (Again)
I’ve been asked to be “unbiased”, unless it diminishes the quality of the write-up….so I should say right up front, I am an unabashed “homer”. Or, clearly, a fan. I care. Probably too much. I say “we” and “our”, like I’m on the roster or a member of the organization. I am not. It feels good when the Raiders win, and losing can trigger a depression that lasts for days. Like a lot of you, I’m sure, I am emotionally invested. Hell, I’m here doing this, just to do it. As a result, what is here is a reflection of both my deep concern as well as my genuine excitement. Both stem from the same source: “potential”. Potential for greatness, potential for catastrophe. Our whole roster is rife with “potential”.
Most of the football world has moved on from the Khalil Mack trade, but from the Raiders’ stand point, the seeds we planted with that trade are only just beginning to bear fruit. Such is the nature of growth: it can take some time. We still have a lot of growing yet to do. Nearly half our 53 man roster will likely be players going into their first, second, or third year. It would be naive to think the growing pains are behind us. Still, there’s real reason to hope for a brighter future with a change in Defensive Coordinator, and the continued realizing of Jon Gruden’s Offensive vision.
“We’re building something, Detective. Its a puzzle ….. and all … the pieces ….. matter.” - Det. Freeman, The Wire
COACHING CHANGES
Out: DC Paul Guenther, LB coach David Lippincott, DB coach Jim O’Neill
In: DC Gus Bradley, LB Coach Richard Smith, DB Coach Ron Milus
Jon Gruden is, first and foremost, an Xs and Os guy. He was touted as a “bright young offensive mind” from the West Coast Offense coaching tree when he became the league’s youngest head coach, all those years ago. He was basically the Sean McVay of his time, but with a lot more f-bombs and a lot less hair product. He spent his time away from coaching divided between announcing games, hosting a TV show called Jon Gruden’s QB Camp, and holed up in an “office” in a strip mall, poring over game film from his library, which is itself legendary. Unsurprisingly, his playbook is famously massive.
It makes sense that in his second tenure as Head Coach, his first defensive hire was Paul Guenther, who also boasts a playbook you could use as a booster seat. Gruden spoke of how he liked the Double A gap defense Guenther was going to install, as it presented a lot of confusing looks for the offense. Unfortunately, it was our young defense and free agents unfamiliar with the system that ended up being confused, and Guenther was let go.
Guenther was a popular scapegoat, but now that he and his (according to many reports) overly-complicated and voluminous Double A-gap defensive playbook are gone, it’s no longer an excuse. An interview with former Raider linebacker Will Compton reveals that not only were the number of plays a lot to keep track of from a purely mental standpoint, the fact that there were so many plays made it impossible to get enough reps of each during practice during the week. Not only was it a lot to learn, there simply wasn’t enough time to practice it all. I found that tid-bit especially interesting, as it was a facet I hadn’t considered. Reps are how you get to the point where you’re simply reacting, instead of thinking, and then reacting. Not enough reps with any given play can lead to confusion and uncertainty on game day. We’ve certainly seen a lot of that. To make matters worse, we’ve been leaning heavily on youth in the aftermath of the Khalil Mack trade. Throw in pandemic restrictions to go with that massive playbook, and the wealth of youth and inexperience….well, it’s little wonder the defense has struggled. Still, this is a results-oriented business: the why or the how don’t matter, at the end of the day. The only thing that matters is winning.
Replacing Guenther is Gus Bradley, most famous for being the architect of the Legion of Boom defense, and it’s hard not to be excited about the possibilities this change may bring. He brings not only a new system, but new coaching philosophy, in so far as he seems eager to tailor the system to the players, rather than the other way around. Guenther used to talk about not being able to do certain things because he didn’t have the players. Bradley talks about what he’s going to do with the players he has.
In contrast to the array of options in Guenther’s playbook, Bradley reports that in mini-camp, the safeties “are getting a little bored back there” because, until the pads go on and the hitting starts, they’re being asked to “do the same things over and over again”. Given the confusion and blown assignments from the past couple of seasons, this is a refreshing change of pace in and of itself.
Bradley started his career in the NFL working for the legendary defensive innovator Monte Kiffin under Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay. He would move on from there to Seattle, where the cover 2 (Tampa 2) defense he picked up under Kiffin would morph into a cover 3, and “the Legion of Boom” was born. This got him a head coaching job in Jacksonville, where they would continue to run his cover 3 concepts. His next stop was with the Chargers, as DC, again, and his cover 3 concepts started to show early signs of further evolution. He started using more cover 1, and using positional flexibility to run some interesting and creative defensive schemes.
What we see in each of these defenses is a stout, attacking front and stellar defensive back play, usually supported by a wealth of young talent to make it happen. The hope is, Bradley’s past success in developing DBs will repeat itself here, and we’ve loaded up on toys for him to play with. I’ll get more into it in the “scheme section” of this write up. For now, suffice it to say that an awful lot is riding on this change, and Bradley’s ability to drag our defense out of the basement and turn it into something that isn’t a glaring liability.
Bradley brings with him DB Coach Ron Milus, who brings 21 years experience to the table and has coached Derwin james, Eric Weddle, Casey Hayward and Desmond King to Pro-bowls. During his tenure with the Chargers, their secondary ranked consistently in the top 10.
Another Bradley guy who comes to us from the Chargers with a long list of success on his resume is LB Coach Richard Smith. Smith has 33 years experience and some top ranked defenses on his resume. Some of the notable LBs he’s coached include Thomas Davis, Drue Tranquill, and Kenneth Murray. Smith was DC for the Atlanta Falcons under Bradley protege Dan Quinn, and helped take that defense from 32nd to 16th, and an NFC title. Prior to that, he was LB coach for Denver, another group that earned a Super Bowl berth, ranking 3rd in the league against the run, and 7th over-all. Before that, it was LB coach for Carolina, when they ranked 3rd in take-aways.
There are, of course, no magic wands, here. How long it takes, or even if, our young defense can develop into a quality unit is anybody’s guess….but certainly things seem to be pointing in the right direction.
ROSTER MOVES
”This is a complicated case, Maude. Lotta ins, lotta outs. Fortunately, I’m adhering to a very strict, um, drug regimen to keep my mind limber.” - The Dude, The Big Lebowski
It seems every year under Jon Gruden has involved significant roster over-haul, and this year was no different. We moved aggressively in free agency and the draft not only to address glaring concerns on both sides of the ball, but to build a defense with a new vision, and complete an offense with an old one.
Not only did we replace 3/5ths of our O-line, but, with significantly less fanfare, we parted ways with just about an entire defense, as well. In both cases, we’re embracing the youth movement. We parted ways with some players who were well established for us, in a bid to transition into the future. Throughout the process of the Gruden era, although there have been some clear mis-steps and set-backs, I’ve had my eye not on where we are now, but where we’ll be a year or two down the road. I’m an unabashed “homer”, but so help me, that glint of hope in the desert is more than just a mirage.
FREE AGENCY
Players Lost/ Cut
| Player | Position | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Rodney Hudson | C | AZ |
| Gabe Jackson | G | SEA |
| Trent Brown | RT | NE |
| Nelson Agholor | WR | NE |
| Tyrell Williams | WR | DET |
| Devontae Booker | RB | NYG |
| Jason Witten | TE | UFA |
| Maliek Collins | D | HOU |
| Raekwon McMillan | LB | NE |
| Erik Harris | S | ATL |
| Jeff Heath | S | TBD |
| Lamarcus Joyner | S | NYJ |
| Maurice Hurst | DT | SF |
| Arden Key | DE | SF |
| Kyle Wilbur | LB | TBD |
| Darryl Worley | CB | TBD |
| Vic Beasley | DE | TBD |
| David Irving | DT | TBD |
| Takkarist McKinley | DE | CLE |
While there was a ton of turn-over, mostly on defense in areas that were in obvious need of upgrade, there were only three really note-worthy losses, here, all of them on offense. Long-time stalwarts Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson, and our most productive Wide Receiver from last season, Nelson Agholor, have moved on and left a world of uncertainty in their wake.
Nelly had a great season with us and got himself paid. I know Raider fans would’ve loved to keep him, but so it goes.
More surprising was the final demolition of an O-line once considered among the league’s best. A head-scratcher, at a glance, but if you look just a little closer, you see two linemen who are on the wrong side of 30, who were making in the neighborhood of $10 million/yr each, and whose effectiveness had fallen off, somewhat. Couple this with a reduced salary cap and some back-ups who had played well in relief, the decision was made that it was time to move on.
The company line is “we got younger and more athletic”. That may very well be true, but, as a fan, my only concern is ”did we get better?” My take is we got younger and less expensive. Certainly, more athletic in replacing the grossly over-paid Trent Brown with Alex Leatherwood, but it’s less clear-cut when talking about Rodney Hudson vs Andre James or Gabe Jackson vs Denzelle Good. As long as we didn’t get significantly worse, we may be just fine. Our starting LG missed 14 games last year, and our starting RT missed 11, yet we managed an offense that ranked in the top 10, so no one is reaching for the panic button just yet.
Players Signed
| Player | Position | Old Team | Length | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yannick Ngakoue | DE | BAL | 2 | $26M |
| Kenyan Drake | RB | ARI | 2 | $11M |
| John Brown | WR | BUF | 1 | $3.75M |
| Solomon Thomas | DT | SF | 1 | $3.25M |
| Quinton Jefferson | DT | BUF | 1 | $3.25M |
| Casey Hayward | CB | LAC | 1 | $2.5M |
| Willie Snead | WR | BAL | 1 | $990K |
| Blidi Wreh-Wilson | CB | ATL | 1 | $1.21M |
| Nick Martin | C | HOU | 1 | $1.25M |
| Karl Joseph | S | CLE | 1 | $1.127M |
| Rasul Douglas | CB | CAR | 1 | $990K |
| Darron Lee | LB | NYJ | 1 | $990K |
Players Re-signed
| Player | Position | Old Team | Length | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kolton Miller | LT | LV | 3 | $54M |
| Richie Incognito | G | LV | 1 | $2.12M |
| Denzelle Good | G | LV | 2 | $8.36M |
| Andre James | C | LV | 2 | $8.65M |
| Sam Young | OL | LV | 1 | $1.212 |
| Johnathan Hankins | DT | LV | 1 | $3.5M |
| Kendall Vickers | DT | LV | 1 | $780K |
| Nicholas Morrow | LB | LV | 1 | $4.5M |
| Marcus Mariota | QB | LV | 1 | $3.5M |
| Theo Riddick | RB | LV | 1 | $1.175M |
| Derek Carrier | TE | LV | 1 | $1.212M |
| Zay Jones | WR | LV | 1 | $2.5M |
| Daniel Carlson | K | LV | 1 | $3.384M |
| Trent Sieg | LS | LV | 3 | $3.422M |
| Nevin Lawson | CB | LV | 1 | $1.125M |
| Dallin Leavitt | S | LV | 1 | $850K |
I have to credit Gruden for being aggressive in continuing to shape his offense. There was some understandable frustration around the signing of Kenyan Drake, given the abysmal state of our defense, but we’ve managed to improve significantly (I believe) in terms of talent on both sides of the ball this off-season. Gruden didn’t wait to fix the defense first, he went out and got his complementary RB to not only spell Jacobs, but to create a dynamic change of pace to keep defenses out of rhythm. We also extended Kolton Miller, brought back Ritchie Incognito and gave “prove it”/transitional contracts to Andre James and Denzelle Good, thus establishing our O-line for at least the immediate future. Some of our current starters on the O-line may prove to be only transitional with guys like John Simpson, Lester Cotton, and Jimmy Morrissey waiting in the wings to get their shot. Given our current roster, we may also be in a great place to focus on O-line in the draft next season. We also added some depth to our WR corps in adding John Brown and Willie Snead, each of whom offer experience as well as complementary skill sets.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball… Free Agent D-line acquisitions Yannick Ngakoue, Quinton Jefferson, and Solomon Thomas were acquired to improve our front, while former Pro-Bowler and Bradley protege Casey Hayward was brought in to mentor our young secondary.
It should also be noted, other than Kolton Miller’s extension, there are no long-term contracts, here. Good chance that’s a sign of more changes to come in the not-too-distant future.
The Raiders’ approach to fixing our woeful defense continues to lean heavily on the draft and an influx of young talent. It’s a problematic gambit, fielding so many inexperienced players at once. It makes for a lot of opportunities for error, as we’ve seen in abundance the last two seasons. The new defensive regime brings real hope that Bradley can do for us what he did in Seattle: build something from the ground up. While the national media was dismissive of, or confused by our draft (in hysterical, embarrassing, pathetic fashion, I might add), given the sculptor who just acquired all this clay, I’m pretty fired up to see what he molds out of it. I understand those folks charged with covering all 32 teams may not be able to follow each one as closely as a psychotically obsessed fan - such as myself - but sometimes I literally laugh out loud, and sometimes I just shake my head. Friendly reminder: Bradley not only designed the Legion of Boom, he drafted those players, as well.
DRAFT
Here, we focused heavily on addressing positions of need on our O-line and our defense. While our first pick raised some eye-brows, it was actually somewhat predictable. It’s the second year in a row we used our first pick to address a position of need with a kid from a National Championship team who had won an award for being the nation’s best at his position. Don’t be surprised if we do the same next year. I can tell you right now: probably DT or IOL. On defense, people were surprised by our loading up on DBs. I’m surprised they were surprised, we obviously needed an influx of talent, and our new DC, well, it’s kind of his thing.
| Round | Number | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Alex Leatherwood | OL | Alabama |
| 2 | 43 | Trevon Moehrig | S | TCU |
| 3 | 79 | Malcolm Koonce | DE | Buffalo |
| 3 | 80 | Divine Deablo | S/LB | VA Tech |
| 4 | 143 | Tyree Gillespie | S | Missouri |
| 5 | 167 | Nate Hobbs | CB | Illinois |
| 7 | 230 | Jimmy Morrissey | C | Pitt |
1. Alex Leatherwood - Like the drummer for Spinal Tap, or the keyboard player for the Grateful Dead, Right Tackle for the Raiders is a spot that’s been surprisingly hard to fill for a very long time. Outland Trophy winner and two-time National Champion for the Crimson Tide, Alex Leatherwood comes to hopefully solve that very issue. Gruden has expressed a desire to run the ball more and become more athletic, and Leatherwood fits the bill. It’s a bit shocking watching this kid run, he carries himself like a man half his size, and that athleticism is something Tom Cable loves in his tackles. The downside is, of course, he’s a rookie who will have to face Joey Bosa, twice, Vonn Miller/Bradley Chubb, twice, Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett/Jadaveon Clowney, Chase Young/Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Lawrence/Randy Gregory, and perhaps a dash of Calais Campbell, just to hit the highlights. As is the case throughout our roster, youth and inexperience is likely to be the source of some significant growing pains in the immediate future.
2. Trevon Moehrig - Also likely to be pressed immediately into service is the star out of TCU. The AP All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner has the eyes of a Nation upon him as the long-term center-piece of our evolving secondary. No pressure. That his introduction to the NFL is through Gus Bradley is exciting as hell, but, like Leatherwood, he’s going to be thrown directly into the fire to be the solution to another position we’ve had trouble solidifying since Charles Woodson retired. Again, no pressure.
3.Malcolm Koonce - The pass rush specialist out of Buffalo promises to bring depth behind Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby to our previously anemic pass rush. He doesn’t boast the twitch our last DE out of Buffalo had, but he does have that prototypical physique, good power, speed, bend, and a decent array of pass-rush moves. Definitely a name to watch for in the future.
4.Divine Deablo - The second of three safeties chosen by the Raiders, Deablo is projected to play linebacker for us. Fun fact, Deablo has said he models his game after Gus Bradley disciple Cam Chancellor. He’s also the same height and weight as Chancellor. I don’t think I’m reading too much into it to think this has something to do with our drafting, and he is where I begin to get excited about what Bradley may have in store with his defense next season.
5. Tyree Gillespie - The third safety selected by the Raiders is projected to remain a safety, and again, is someone I’m fascinated to see how he fits in. He seems to be more of a box safety, which would theoretically put him backing up Jon Abram, but he shut down Kyle Pitts in coverage last season. In he and Deablo, we have two players who are capable of covering TEs, which will come in handy in a division where we see Travis Kelce twice a year. We also have two players who fit that “positional flexibility” profile and I’m wondering how creative Bradley gets in match-up packages. Frankly, stopping TEs has been an issue for us since…..at least Antonio Gates. I think Cory Littleton will have a rebound season this year under Bradley, and covering TEs was why we hired him….but it’s good to know we’re moving towards depth and youth.
6. Nate Hobbs - the attack on the pass-happy NFL continues with the addition of Nate Hobbs. One must temper expectations with later-round picks out of smaller schools, but, if you watch the film on this kid and if you love football, you’ll love Nate Hobbs. His physicality just jumps off the screen. There have been a lot of people who played this position - some legendary ones, at that - who weren't too keen to square up and hit a guy. No one will ever accuse Hobbs of that. Kid loves to hit and he’s built for it. He’s pretty sticky in coverage, too, and when he’s not, he looks to make the receiver pay. He can also play both the slot and outside and has already gotten a shout out from Bradley for being a pleasant surprise in mini-camp. Again, how he fits in remains a mystery, but he projects to provide quality depth to our young secondary, and may be a long-term solution in the slot.
7. Jimmy Morrissey - I love Morrissey because he looks like he played Center for Sammy Baugh, and only wore the leather helmet because they made him. With all the movement on our line of late, it makes sense that we would pick up a depth piece with an eye to the future. At the moment, that future is Andre James, but he’s never put in a full season as a starter, so Morrissey joins Nick Martin as a sort of insurance policy at the position. Count on OL Coach Tom Cable to coach him up at other spots as well to give him some flexibility if called upon.
NOTABLE UDFAs
While most of these players’ are likely headed to the practice squad as capable reserves, a few have a chance of cracking the 53:
Matt Bushman: TE; 6’4, 245 lbs.; BYU - Before losing his Senior season to an Achilles injury Bushman was on the watch list for the John Mackey Award, presented to the best college Tight End in the nation.
Devery Hamilton: T; 6’6”, 311 lbs.; Stanford, Duke - Played 4 years at Stanford, where he appeared in 3 bowl games, and one at Duke as a grad student, on a team that averaged almost 380 yds/game.
Max Richardson: LB; 5’11”, 223 lbs.; Boston College - His senior tackle total was the fourth best in the ACC and 11th best in the nation.
Darius Stills: DT; 6’, 278 lbs.; W. Virginia - Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, and first team All-American according to ESPN, Sporting News, AP, USA Today
Dillon Stoner: WR; 6’ 194 lbs.; Oklahoma St. - Stoner finished his college career at Oklahoma State in the top ten in school history in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He is also a punt return specialist.
DJ Turner: WR; 5’9”, 206 lbs.; Pitt - Distinguished himself as a punt and kick return specialist in college, ranked second in the ACC in punt return average, and third in kickoff return average.
Trey Ragas: RB; 5’10, 214 lbs.; Louisiana U. - In four years at Louisiana, Ragas put up some heady numbers, averaging 6 yards a carry while amassing over 3,500 yards and 38 rushing TDs.
If anyone is interested, I wrote more detailed position group breakdowns for each group for r/Raiders, which you can find by looking at my submitted posts. They’re really more written for/directed at Raider fans and are bit more colorful/raving/preachy than what you’ll find here, although there are some redundancies.
The Youth Movement
A lot of jokes were made about how old the Raiders roster was in Gruden’s first year back with the team. Oh, how times have changed. For the past two seasons, as well as this one coming up, rookies were thrown into the starting rotation en masse, with somewhat predictable results. I mentioned “growing pains” early. They have been significant. The worst of it was actually Gruden’s first year with the team, when we had a rookie in both tackle slots and Carr was sacked 51 times as a result. Fortunately, LT Kolton Miller developed quickly and is now a cornerstone. We can only hope for similar results from the host of youngsters that we’ve acquired in the years since Kolton joined the team. Here’s a quick look at the just how much of the Raiders roster is comprised of youngsters, as well as the type of role they’ll be expected to play this season. I’ve adjusted for time lost to injury, so Abram, Johnson, and Muse are listed as having one year’s less experience than the rest of the people in their respective draft classes.
OFFENSE
| Player | Yrs. Exp. | Position | Projected Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Renfrow | 2 | WR | Starter |
| Josh Jacobs | 2 | RB | Starter |
| Andre James | 2 | C | Starter |
| Foster Moreau | 2 | TE | Depth |
| Alec Ingold | 2 | FB | Starter |
| Lester Cotton, Sr. | 2 | G | Depth |
| Henry Ruggs III | 1 | WR | Starter |
| Bryan Edwards | 1 | WR | Starter |
| John Simpson | 1 | G | Depth |
| Alex Leatherwood | 0 | T | Starter |
| Jimmy Morrissey | 0 | C | Depth |
DEFENSE
| Player | Yrs. Exp. | Position | Projected Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clelin Ferrell | 2 | DE | Starter |
| Maxx Crosby | 2 | DE | Starter |
| Trayvon Mullen | 2 | CB | Starter |
| Jon Abram | 1 | SS | Starter |
| Isaiah Johnson | 1 | CB | Depth |
| Damon Arnette | 1 | CB | Starter |
| Amik Robertson | 1 | CB | Depth |
| Tanner Muse | 0 | LB | Depth |
| Tre’von Moehrig | 0 | FS | Starter |
| Malcolm Koonce | 0 | DE | Depth |
| Divine Deablo | 0 | LB | Depth |
| Tyree Gillespie | 0 | S | Depth |
| Nate Hobbs | 0 | CB | Depth |
It’s fair to say not all these names are roster locks, but it also excludes a few names that have a shot like Bushman and Hamilton and Stills - these are just the guys I know or believe will most likely be contributing this year. It’s still 24 names with two or fewer years of NFL experience, and the 13 names listed here as starters…..well, they’re all virtual locks to start. We still don’t know where Robertson, Simpson, and Muse will fit in, but are all in the mix. Just pointing out that nearly half of our roster, both the starting roster, as well as the roster over-all, will be players in their first, second, or third years in the league. Whatever we may be now, we’re still growing.
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