Raiders Cut Loose 25-Year-Old Former Third-Round Pick
There was some expectation that the Las Vegas Raiders could have an eventful bye week, but the team was relatively quiet. The most notable thing they did was sign former Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
However, they aren’t done tinkering with the roster. Ahead of their Week 9 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Raiders decided to part ways with linebacker Brian Asamoah.
Asamoah has been on the practice squad all season and hasn’t been able to get on the field. He first came into the NFL as a third-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, but has never started a game.
He joined the Raiders right before the season, but the team’s linebacker play has been solid, so there hasn’t been a reason to promote him. With linebacker not being a huge need for Las Vegas, it made Asamoah expendable. His status as a former third-round pick should give him a chance to land elsewhere, but it won’t be with the Raiders for now.
Devin White Stepping Up For Raiders
The Raiders’ linebacker room was a bit of a concern heading into the season. The team relied on older veterans over young players.
While the defense hasn’t been great, the linebackers have been solid. Devin White is one player who has stood out. The former top-10 draft pick had a rough couple of years, but he’s finding new life in Las Vegas.
He’s just trying to do what he can to make plays.
“I just try to stay cool, calm and collected,” White said recently, via Raiders.com. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to make the play when it’s presented to you and you can’t dwell on the past. One thing about me, it can be bad and you can get in your own head, or it can be good and you can stay in the moment too long. So I try to just stay out of it and just live for right now.
“If you’re consistent, you’ll be rewarded.”
Tommy Eichenberg Praises White
White has been an outspoken player in the past, which has led to some speculation that he’s a difficult player to work with. However, that hasn’t been the impression he’s leaving on teammates. Second-year linebacker Tommy Eichenberg had a lot of praise for White.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Eichenberg said. “Love the way he plays. Love the way he leads the room. Overall, just a really good teammate.
“It’s definitely something I’m trying to incorporate into my game. He’s just got a lot of energy and it’s awesome playing next to him. … He never talks about anything he’s ever done. Which is awesome.”
White has been a leader for the Raiders. He’s only on a one-year deal, but he’s making the case that he should be brought back. That said, he still has to continue playing well for the rest of the season. If he finishes strongly, the Raiders will almost certainly want to bring him back on a multi-year contract.
Analyst Calls Browns Key Offseason Move ‘A Massive Mistake’
The Cleveland Browns made a major move this offseason, but one analyst isn’t a fan of it.
After another disappointing season, Cleveland made a big move to re-sign star pass rusher Myles Garrett. Garrett has requested a trade, but the Browns ended up giving him a four-year, $160 million contract with over $123 million guaranteed.
Although Garrett is one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, Browns analyst Daryl Ruiter called the extension a massive mistake.
“I think the biggest mistake the Browns made was extending Myles,” Ruiter said on 92.3 The Fan. “I think that was a massive mistake on their end, I understand why they did it. You don’t want to be the organization that trades a future Hall of Famer, I get that. How competitive are you with Myles right now? You have a future Hall of Famer that’s doing record-breaking things, and you’re non-competitive. That’s why it was a bad decision for them to extend Myles. They should’ve traded him.”
As Ruiter points out, despite Garrett being dominant, the Browns still aren’t winning games, so he thought general manager Andrew Berry should have traded Garrett.
Had the Browns traded Garrett, Cleveland likely would’ve been able to acquire multiple draft picks, including first-rounders and perhaps some impact NFL players, which is why Ruiter called the extension a massive mistake.
Browns Send Message to Garrett After Outburst
During Cleveland’s blowout loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8, Garrett had another dominant game.
The star pass rusher recorded 5 sacks and a forced fumble in a dominant game. But, despite his performance, the Browns were getting blown out when Garrett slammed his helmet on the sideline in frustration.
Following the loss, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski responded to Garrett’s frustration.
“We’re all frustrated,” Stefanski said postgame. “Obviously, in those moments, we want to make sure it doesn’t get the best of us. But with that frustration comes a resolve, and I know Myles and I know him as a leader, I know the leaders in this football team will show that mental, will show that resolve.”
Garrett, meanwhile, said he was frustrated that he wasn’t on the field at that point in the game, regardless of the score.
“Frustrated,” he said. “I want to win. No matter how much time is on the clock, they got their starters in, there’s a chance we can win, I want to be a part of that. I don’t care how dire the situation looks. I want to try to make something happen, so I hate coming out in a situation, I hate that kind of inevitability. And not being able to do anything about it.”
Stefanski Hopeful Team Turns it Around
Heading into the Browns’ bye week, Stefanski said the goal is to start winning.
The head coach is also frustrated as Garrett is, but he’s confident the team can turn it around.
“I think it’s really so specific to all of us. We know we have a job to do – the fun in this business is winning, so, there’s the frustration that comes with losing a game, is very real. But how you channel that and how you, like you said, use it as fuel moving forward, I think is really important,” Stefanski concluded.
The Browns will go on the road to play the New York Jets in Week 10 after their bye.
