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Jonah Laulu

Raiders Notes: Meyers, Brady, Edge Rush

September 12th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers wound up retaining Brandon Aiyuk on 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.

One of San Francisco’s known targets in that respect was Courtland Sutton. The Broncos turned aside interest in a trade which would have sent Sutton to the Bay Area, but they were not the only team in the AFC West to receive an offer concerning a veteran wideout. The 49ers “approached” the Raiders about Jakobi Meyers, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

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.
  • With Malcolm Koonce set to miss significant time (if not the entire season), it was particularly problematic when fellow defensive end Tyree Wilson suffered a knee sprain in Week 1. The latter avoided the worst-case scenario, but he could still miss time. The Raiders have since worked out K’Lavon Chaisson and added him on a practice squad deal; the former Jags first-rounder could provide depth, but more moves could be coming. Head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) Telesco is still looking into defensive end additions. Vegas has over $28MM in cap space, so finances will not be an issue if a veteran like Yannick Ngakoue or Carl Lawson is pursued.
  • Defensive lineman Jonah Laulu was 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.

Raiders Waive DT Byron Young

August 28th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders moved on from a recent draft pick today. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has waived 2023 third-round defensive tackle Byron Young. The team also signed cornerback Darnay Holmes, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The team wasn’t done adding, as the Raiders claimed defensive tackle Jonah Laulu off waivers from the Colts and safety Thomas Harper off waivers from the Chargers, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.

Following a standout college career at Alabama, Young was selected by the Raiders with the No. 70 pick in the 2023 draft. He barely saw the field as a rookie, appearing in only 99 defensive snaps in six games. Still, after having to start his first training camp on PUP, there was hope he’d take a step forward with a full offseason program. Instead, the defensive lineman will have to resume his career elsewhere.

He’ll be replaced on the roster by Laulu, who was cut by the Colts yesterday. The rookie seventh-round pick split his college career between Hawaii and Oklahoma. The team also added Harper, a UDFA out of Oklahoma State University and Notre Dame.

Holmes’ stint with the Giants came to an end earlier this week. The former fourth-round pick had spent his entire career in New York, starting 11 of his 54 appearances. Despite getting into a career-high 16 games in 2023, the cornerback was limited to a career-low 123 defensive snaps. He re-signed with the organization this past offseason, but he didn’t end up making it through final cuts with the Giants.

In more corresponding moves, the team waived rookie CB M.J. Devonshire and placed CB Brandon Facyson on injured reserve (per Gutierrez). Facyson was at one time competing for the team’s CB2 role, but the cornerback was sidelined for most of the preseason with an undisclosed injury. The former UDFA was limited to only three appearances with the Raiders in 2023, but he had 55 tackles during his first stint with the organization in 2021.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.

Denver Broncos

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed:

Claimed:

  • CB Eric Scott Jr.

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR: 

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Chargers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Colts Let Go Of Five Veterans, Place TE Jelani Woods On IR On Way To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 10:37pm CST by Ely Allen

The Colts have gotten down to the 53 players who will start the year on the active roster. Here are the players who won’t:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

The Colts made a number of tough decisions to close our the initial active roster. Aside from Montgomery, every other veteran the team released today has some form of starting experience under their belt. A youth movement in the defensive ends room kept Avery out of the mix, and Tomlinson wasn’t able to take advantage of Woods missing the who year on injured reserve.

Even more surprising perhaps was Indianapolis cutting ties with three drafted rookies after only four months. Fifth-round Auburn defensive back Simpson, sixth-round Marshall cornerback Abraham, and seventh-round Oklahoma defensive tackle Laulu all failed to make the 53-man roster, essentially marking those draft picks as wasted. If some late-round players end up breaking out into true contributors, the Colts are going to kick themselves for missing on those three selections.

On the other side of that, Indianapolis uncovered a gem in undrafted Marshall guard Dalton Tucker. Tucker made the roster and is one of only four interior offensive linemen backing up the starting three.

Colts Sign Round 1 DE Laiatu Latu, Four Other Draftees

May 9th, 2024 at 8:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Thursday’s run of first-rounders inking rookie deals will continue with Laiatu Latu. The Colts agreed to terms with their top pick, who is now signed through 2027.

The UCLA prospect — the first defender off the board in this year’s draft, at No. 15 — will see his contract fully guaranteed, as all first-rounders’ deals are, and the Colts can keep him on this deal through 2028 via the fifth-year option. For now, Latu will get to work building on his Los Angeles-based career resurgence.

[RELATED: Colts Pick Up Kwity Paye’s Fifth-Year Option]

A neck injury at Washington forced a medical retirement from Latu, but he resurfaced with the Bruins in 2022. Last season’s Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year showing (13 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss) solidified Latu’s value as a first-rounder. With six QBs going off the board in the first 12 picks, other teams opted to fill wide receiver and tackle needs. The Raiders opted for a value pick in Brock Bowers. This left Latu on the board for the Colts, who jumped at the chance to grab a player they viewed as the draft’s top defender.

Latu began to display first-round-level form with a 10.5-sack 2022 season at the then-Chip Kelly-run program. He also intercepted two passes last season. The Colts had made offers to trade up in Round 1, and pre-draft reports suggested Indianapolis was targeting a skill-position player. Malik Nabers may well have been Indy’s target, but the Colts circled back to the WR position in Round 2 by taking Texas’ Adonai Mitchell. Latu will be plugged into a suddenly deep DE corps.

The Colts did not meet with Latu on a “30” visit, but they joined most teams in being comfortable with his medical outlook. The Falcons were interested enough in Latu they attempted to trade back into the middle of Round 1 — after eschewing their edge-rushing need to take Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 — to draft the Pac-12 star.

In Indianapolis, Latu joins former first-rounder Kwity Paye, ex-second-rounder Dayo Odeyingbo and 2023 free agency pickup Samsom Ebukam. This trio fared well for the Colts last season; each posted at least eight sacks — career-high totals across the board. That group, with a heavy assist from DeForest Buckner, accumulated 51 — good enough for fifth in the league. Latu joining this rush cadre certainly should provide more strength for Indy’s suddenly formidable pass rush.

Additionally, linebacker Jaylon Carlies and cornerback Jaylin Simpson signed fifth-round rookie deals, while cornerback Micah Abraham and defensive tackle Jonah Laulu agreed to terms on their seventh-round contracts Thursday night.