September 12th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose
The 49ers wound up retaining Brandon Aiyukon a four-year, $120MM extension after extensive talks with outside teams about a trade. Had they ended up dealing the second-team All-Pro to the Steelers, acquiring an experienced wideout to replace him would have become a priority.
Talks on the Meyers front proved to be very short-lived, however, per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. In the end, Aiyuk deciding to remain in San Francisco ended the need for any further WR pursuit on the part of the 49ers. Meyers, 27, recorded 807 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns during his debut Raiders campaign last season. With two years remaining on his pact, expectations are high for another strong year in 2024. The former Patriot would have stepped into a starting role in an Aiyuk-less 49ers receiver room, but it comes as no surprise a trade was not seriously considered by Raiders GM Tom Telesco.
Here are some other notes out of Las Vegas:
Tom Brady‘s ownership stake in the team is still not official, but other NFL owners have kept it in mind during the start of his broadcasting career. Brady faces many restrictions in his gig as FOX’s lead color commentator owing to the fact he is set to be a part of Mark Davis‘ ownership group. As Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes, the seven-time Super Bowl winner was present for Vegas’ final practice during the 2023 season. That may have raised additional questions about how hands-on he will be once his stake is finalized, and it helps explain the steps taken to eliminate Brady’s access to other teams during his broadcasting tenure.
Defensive linemanJonah Lauluwas one of the players let go by the Colts during roster cutdowns, and the Raiders claimed him off waivers. The seventh-round rookie was a prospect the Raiders wanted to select in the draft, Pierce said (via Tafur’s colleague Tashan Reed). Laulu began his college career at Hawaii before transferring to Oklahoma. He flashed potential with the Sooners while catching Pierce’s attention in the process, and he will now look to carve out a role in Vegas.
A week after being released by the Panthers, pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson is getting his third opportunity in the NFL. According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Chaisson will be joining the practice squad of the Raiders.
Chaisson, a former first-round pick out of LSU, struggled over the course of his rookie contract in Jacksonville. The Jaguars gave their 20th overall pick a slow start to his career, giving him only three starts in his rookie season. A season later, Chaisson started eight games, without providing much more value to the defense. After missing eight games due to injury in 2022, Chaisson returned in 2023 playing a career-low numbers of snaps, though he finally did deliver a multi-sack season.
Now, Chaisson will head to Vegas where the Raiders are dealing with a litany of injuries to their pass rushing group. The day before their season opener, the Raiders placed defensive end Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve with a knee injury. Yesterday, it was reported that last year’s first-round pick, Tyree Wilson, suffered a knee sprain, and Las Vegas was looking for help on the edge, as a result.
That help comes in the form of Chaisson. If called up from the practice squad, Chaisson would provide reinforcement for Maxx Crosby, Janarius Robinson, Wilson, and Charles Snowden. It still leaves the position room a bit thin, but it gives the team bodies on the edge.
In addition to Chaisson, the Raiders added cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly to their practice squad, as well. A fifth-round pick for the Ravens last year, Kelly failed to make Baltimore’s 53-man roster and spent parts of his rookie season in Seattle, Green Bay, and Washington. He now joins his fifth team in 13 months.
Not long after being a 49ers cut as the NFC champions pared set their initial 53-man roster, Parker secured another opportunity. The 49ers carried Parker on their roster this offseason and brought him back shortly after releasing him. A 33-game starter with the Raiders, Parker joins a Falcons roster housing Storm Norton as the swingman behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary.
Isaac went to camp with the Bucs but caught on with the Panthers, via their barrage of waiver claims, after being waived. The Panthers waived Isaac before their Week 1 game. Isaac initially signed with the Bucs as a 2023 UDFA and played in two games last season.
Hatten incurred a five-game suspension today. A Seahawks UDFA this year, Hatten did not make the team’s 53-man roster. At the same time, the NFL lifted the suspensions of the other three free agents, Jackson, Muhammad, and Thomas.
The Raiders’ pass rush was already shorthanded to begin the campaign, and the unit was dealt another blow on Sunday. Tyree Wilsonsuffered a knee sprain during the team’s loss to the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Rapoport notes Wilson’s knee is intact. While further testing is yet to take place, that is an encouraging sign the worst-case scenario has been avoided. Nevertheless, Wilson could be in line for missed time, something which would exacerbate the absence of Malcolm Koonce. A knee injury suffered during practice this week landed Koonce on injured reserve, and he is in danger of missing the entire 2024 campaign.
Wilson was in line to handle an increased workload in the wake of Koonce’s injury. The 2023 seventh overall pick logged a 44% snap share as a rookie, although his production fell short of expectations. Wilson totaled 3.5 sacks, a stark contrast to the eight Koonce managed while operating opposite Maxx Crosby. Missed time will halt Wilson’s development, although a long-term absence may not be in store for him.
Given the injuries suffered along the edge, though, Vegas will likely be in the market for an addition. Head coach Antonio Piercesaid on Monday general manager Tom Telesco is “working on” bringing in depth options at the defensive end spot (h/t Vic Tafur of The Athletic). It would come as no surprise if free agent workouts including some of the top veterans on the market were to take place over the coming days.
Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue, Romeo Okwara and Shaq Lawson are among the most experienced edge defenders who are unsigned at the moment. The Raiders currently have nearly $28.5MM in cap space, so a short-term addition would certainly be feasible. How the team proceeds will no doubt be heavily influenced by Wilson’s prognosis, but Vegas will be worth watching in the near future with respect to a signing aimed at providing depth.
September 8th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose
The 2024 coaching cycle produced eight hires around the NFL. Raheem Morris (Falcons), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Commanders) are each in place as head coaches after previously serving in that role with past teams. The other five are making their coaching debuts this weekend.
Dave Canales ended a lengthy tenure with the Seahawks in 2023 when took over as the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator. That was his first opportunity as a play-caller at the college or NFL levels, and Tampa Bay did not rank among the league’s elite in terms of passing production. The team was also last in rushing yardage, but overall the Buccaneers outperformed expectations in 2023. Quarterback Baker Mayfieldwas among the many in-house players who landed a contract keeping him in Tamp Bay this offseason.
That came in no small part from the former No. 1 pick’s career highs in yards (4,044) and touchdown passes (28) under Canales. Expectations will be high for another NFC South title in 2024 for the Bucs, but the opposite will be the case in Carolina as Canales begins his first head coaching gig. The 43-year-old helped stabilize Mayfield’s career in Tampa Bay after doing the same with Geno Smithin Seattle. Canales will now be tasked with overseeing Bryce Young’s development.
Selected first overall last April after the Panthers’ blockbuster trade to acquire the top pick, Young struggled mightily in 2023. The same was true of many other aspects of the organization, of course, and head coach Frank Reich was fired midway through his first season as head coach. General manager Scott Fitterer was dismissed this offseason, with Dan Morgan being promoted as his replacement. He and Canales are at the helm of a long-term rebuild, but at least slight improvement from last year’s 2-15 campaign will be expected in 2024.
Antonio Pierce has slightly more experience than his fellow first-year coaches. The Raiders gave him the interim HC title after Josh McDaniels was fired midway through his second season in Vegas. Owner Mark Davis was in a similar situation when Rich Bisaccia took on interim duties in 2021. Davis allowed Bisaccia to depart, a move he has since expressed regret over.
Instead of repeating that move this year, Davis tapped Pierce for the full-time gig. Many players publicly endorsed the former Pro Bowl linebacker after he guided the team to a 5-4 record down the stretch. Efforts to land a quarterback in the first round of the draft were unsuccessful, so training camp saw incumbent Aidan O’Connell and free agent pickup Gardner Minshewcompete for the starting gig. Neither passer impressed, and the veteran will begin the year atop the depth chart based largely on his experience.
The Raiders added Christian Wilkinsto a defensive front already featuring Maxx Crosby, and the team’s defense will be leaned on heavily amidst questions in the passing game. Vegas’ rushing output without Josh Jacobsin the backfield will also be worth watching as Pierce looks to lead the Raiders to a postseason return or at least offer a reason for long-term stability on the sidelines.
Jerod Mayo was known to be the Patriots’ heir apparent to Bill Belichick well before the six-time Super Bowl winner parted ways with the organization. Belichick’s departure came about after the third year with Mac Jonesin place at quarterback wound up as a disaster. Sweeping changes on offense were made in the offseason, although a number of players brought in during Belichick’s tenure were retained.
That will leave Mayo – who spent his entire eight-year playing career in New England – with several familiar faces on defense in particular (except, notably, Matt Judon). The 38-year-old spent much of his first training camp overseeing a quarterback competition between veteran Jacoby Brissettand rookie Drake Maye. The latter will begin his career on the bench, but as the No. 3 pick in April’s draft and the more productive passer during the preseason he is expected see the field in relatively short order.
The 2024 campaign will be measured in large part by Maye’s development, but the degree to which the Patriots’ offensive line and receiving corps progress will be worth watching as well. Mayo and first-year de facto GM Eliot Wolf‘s roster is not expected to compete in the AFC East, but a step forward from the end of the Belichick era would provide optimism moving forward.
Pete Carroll attempted to remain in place at the helm of the Seahawks in 2024, but the team moved forward with finding his replacement. Mike Macdonald, 36, is the only head coach younger than Mayo and he represents a candidate to enjoy a lengthy tenure in the Emerald City just as Carroll did. Macdonald spent the 2022 and ’23 seasons serving as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, boosting his stock considerably during that time.
Baltimore led the NFL in points allowed, sacks and takeaways last year. That unprecedented feat put him on the head coaching radar despite his age and the fact many younger head coaches tend to have a background on the offensive side of the ball. New OC Ryan Grubb will take charge of Seattle’s offense while Macdonald focuses on orchestrating a defensive rebound. The Seahawks have ranked no better than 22nd in total defense over the past five years.
Seattle finished 9-8 last season, and quarterback Geno Smith is among the core players still in place from Carroll’s final campaign. If Macdonald can guide the team to a better finish on defense, a postseason berth could very well be within reach. The NFC West figures to remain highly competitive, though, so his first year at the helm will feature several challenges if a return to the playoffs is to take place.
Brian Callahan joined Zac Taylor’s original Bengals staff in 2019 and he worked as offensive coordinator for five years. That gig did not include play-calling responsibilities, but Callahan drew head coaching interest before landing the Titans’ position. Tennessee moved on fromMike Vrabel after a second straight losing season, and Callahan will be tasked with developing quarterback Will Levisin his place.
The 2023 second-rounder made nine starts during his rookie campaign after taking over from Ryan Tannehill. Levis’ ability to progress will be Tennessee’s top storyline as he takes charge of a unit which now features Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, Tony Pollardand multiple new starters along the offensive line. Callahan’s ability to fit those new elements into the offense and maximize Levis’ potential will determine much of the team’s short- and long-term outlook.
The Titans went 6-11 last year and the AFC South includes three other teams which have young passers; all of them posted better records than Tennessee in 2023. Ran Carthon enters his second season as general manager, and the team’s new regime will be tasked with moving forward with a new core compared to the Vrabel era. Callahan is a central figure in that effort, and Levis’ first full campaign atop the depth chart will be worth watching closely as Callahan handles play-calling duties.
Which staffer do you think will have the best campaign in 2024? Cast your vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments section.
SEPTEMBER 8: We are once again hearing that Brady’s ownership stake in the Raiders could soon be approved. Mark Maske of the Washington Post said at the end of last month that the matter could be put to a vote at the next owners meeting in October, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com echoed that sentiment this morning.
Rapoport also noted that the vote could be pushed to the December labor seminar and Special League Meeting, but in any event, the expectation is that Brady will land approval as a minority owner in 2024.
AUGUST 31: The 2024 season will mark the beginning of Tom Brady‘s broadcasting career. The seven-time Super Bowl winner will operate as FOX’s lead color commentator, a role which has led to questions stemming from his pending purchase of a minority stake in the Raiders.
Brady worked out an agreement to join Mark Davis as one of the Raiders’ owners last May, but that deal has yet to be approved by the NFL. The purchase price is not believed to be point of contention anymore; rather, the issue of a potential conflict of interest remains as a sticking point amongst a number of the league’s other owners. Steps have been taken to allow Brady to operate as a broadcaster but with unique restrictions attached.
The 47-year-old will not be allowed to enter the facilities of teams other than the Raiders, nor will he take part in production meetings leading up to the games he calls, the NFL announced this week (h/t ESPN’s Seth Wickersham). Those meetings are commonplace during the days leading up to broadcasts and involve in-person conversations with players and coaches from both teams. Preventing Brady from being a part of that process should keep him from being able to use his position to provide a competitive advantage to the Raiders.
The future Hall of Famer – who inked a 10-year, $375MM deal with FOX and took a year off after his playing career ended to prepare for the transition to broadcasting – will also be subject to the league’s gambling and tampering policies even though he is not yet officially an owner. The criteria affecting Brady will take effect immediately, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press confirms. Brady will be allowed to call Raiders games, and while on the air for those contests (and all others) he will be bound by the league rules which prohibit public criticism of officials and other teams.
No other member of the FOX staff will be subject to the rules Brady will need to abide by. Precedent for such restrictions exists based on Greg Olsen‘s initial time spent with the network as a broadcaster. Olsen’s earliest work as a color commentator came while he was still a player with the Panthers. Upon retirement, he took on full-time broadcasting work, becoming FOX’s lead analyst until this season, when Brady will replace him as Kevin Burkhart’s partner.
No firm timeline exists for when Brady’s ownership deal will be approved; that process still sits with the NFL’s finance committee. Once the agreement is put to a vote for all owners, at least 24 of 32 will need to give it the green light for him to formally join the ownership ranks. The league’s decision to implement restrictions on his broadcasting tenure could be a sign that approval will come about sometime in 2024, though.
With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.
Expectations are high for the Raiders’ front seven in 2024, but the unit will be shorthanded to begin the year and potentially well into the season. Defensive end Malcolm Kooncewas placed on injured reserve Saturday.
As a result, he will miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Koonce suffered a knee injury in practice this week, but his absence could stretch far beyond September. ESPN’s Paul Guiterrez reports the ailment could be season-ending.
Losing Koonce for any extended stretch would mark a notable blow to Vegas’ pass rush. Maxx Crosbyremains atop the depth chart, and the three-time Pro Bowler will be counted on to deliver another impactful campaign this year. Koonce was set to operate as the other starter at the defensive end spot, however, after he set a number of career highs in 2023. The 26-year-old saw a major uptick in usage last season, logging a 44% snap share and making 11 starts (after exclusively playing in a rotational capacity during his first two campaigns).
Koonce produced eight sacks, 17 quarterback hits and 23 pressures in 2023, setting the stage for another strong year to conclude his rookie contract. The former third-rounder was reported in July to be on the Raiders’ extension radar, and a second straight year with strong production would have helped his value considerably. Now, though, attention will turn to recovery with team and player hoping he will able to return at some point in the season.
Vegas selected Tyree Wilsonseventh overall last year with the hopes of using him in a first-team role opposite Crosby. Things did not go according to plan, though, as Wilson recorded just 3.5 sacks and logged a rotational workload. With Koonce out of the fold for the time being, the Texas Tech alum could be in line for a larger role than anticipated to start the 2024 season.
In a corresponding move, the Raiders promoted Charles Snowdenfrom the practice squad to the active roster. The 26-year-old has only made two regular season appearances in his career; they came with the Bears in 2021. Snowden will be a candidate for a depth role, as will 2023 fourth-rounder Janarius Robinson. Vegas’ campaign begins tomorrow against the Chargers, but Koonce’s recovery timeline will prove to be a key big-picture storyline for the team.
The Ravens drafted Ali in this year’s fifth round. He entered the week joining Derrick Henry and Justice Hill as running backs on Baltimore’s 53-man roster. Kelly has since replaced him as Baltimore’s RB3. He will now join Keaton Mitchell as being on an injured list; the latter remains on the Ravens’ reserve/PUP list, sidelining him for at least four games. This designation shelves Ali for that period as well. The Ravens could use one of their injury activations to bring Ali back to the roster at that point.
September 5th, 2024 at 10:34am CST by Adam La Rose
Since the Raiders’ decision to move on from Derek Carr, Davante Adams‘ future with the team has been a talking point. The All-Pro wideout is not seeking a trade, but connections continue to be made to a move sending him elsewhere.
Three years remain on Adams’ deal, although 2024 marks the final season with any guaranteed salary. Vegas’ front office – now led by Tom Telesco, not the regime which acquired Adams via trade – has made it clear the 31-year-old is firmly in the team’s plans moving forward. If the Raiders endure a slow start to the upcoming campaign, however, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes Adams is seen by some around the league as a future trade chip ahead of the deadline (subscription required).
After eight seasons in Green Bay (including five consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns), Adams has remained productive during his two years as a Raider. The 2022 campaign produced another Pro Bowl invite along with a third straight All-Pro nod, while last season saw him record 1,100-plus yards for the fifth time in six years. Vegas will have Gardner Minshewin place at quarterback to start the season after the team benched Jimmy Garoppololast year (a move Adams endorsed and linked his ongoing tenure in the organization to). The Fresno State product has already publicly committed to the Raiders this summer, but he has also confirmed his preference that any hypothetical trade would reunite him withAaron Rodgers.
As things stand now, however, Adams is set to remain the focal point of the Raiders’ passing attack as head coach Antonio Pierce seeks to oversee development on both sides of the ball. First-round rookie tight end Brock Bowersenters the league with high expectations, but Adams will be counted on to play a central role in any playoff push Vegas makes in 2024. It will be interesting to see if his outlook on his current team changes as the fall progresses, but no thought of a trade exists entering the campaign.
“At the end of the day, the facts are the facts and that is not a fact,” Adams said (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) about remarks made by DeSean Jackson pointing to him being unhappy with his situation in Vegas. “I’ve probably spoken to [Jackson] maybe three or four times in my life, and I never had a conversation with him [about this], ever. I’ve never spoken to him about anything.
“[I]n terms of me being upset or not being happy in this organization, it’s just a bunch of BS that’s just meant to throw everybody off and get clickbait,” Adams added. “Everybody wants to see what Davante Adams got to say, and, you know, he’s pissed off in Vegas. If I was pissed off, I mean, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
The Jets’ receiver room will be led by Garrett Wilsononce again in 2024, and free agent pickup Mike Williamsshould play a starting role in New York. The team has nearly $19MM in cap space at the moment, although that figure will change between now and the trade deadline. Speculation surrounding Adams will likely continue depending on how the Raiders’ season starts, but he is on board with at least another campaign in Vegas.
