Raiders Cut Ties With WR in Order to Sign Ex-Steelers 75-Game Starter

The Las Vegas Raiders came out of their first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks with concerns on the defensive side of the ball. The tackling didn’t look good, and it’s easy to see the team getting cold feet about going into the season with such a young secondary.

With that in mind, the Raiders decided to add a veteran safety. The team announced that they’ve signed former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds.

Edmunds was a first-round pick of the Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft and spent his first five seasons in Pittsburgh, starting in 75 games. He has bounced around the NFL in recent years and spent time with the Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.

He hasn’t had a steady home since his first Pittsburgh stint, but he’s only 28. With the Raiders likely using Jeremy Chubb as a nickel cornerback quite a bit, there could be an opportunity for another safety to see a lot of snaps.

If Edmunds looks good in training camp, the Raiders would be happy to have him fill in at safety while Chubb works in the slot. It’ll be interesting to see how Las Vegas decides to utilize Edmunds in the coming weeks.

Raiders Release Seth Williams

The Raiders had a full roster, so they had to let a player go to make room for Edmunds. The unlucky player was wide receiver Seth Williams.

He had just signed with the team in late July, so he never had much of a chance to make a name for himself. The Raiders waived Williams with an injury designation, so it’s possible that he just isn’t healthy. Depending on the severity of his injury, he might have a hard time making a roster this season.

Raiders Concerned About Run Defense

The Raiders’ young secondary is a concern, but it might not be as big of a concern as the run defense. The team allowed 170 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Seahawks.

It’s just the preseason, but head coach Pete Carroll was honest about the struggles.

“I’m concerned, yeah,” Carroll said. “That way we tackled stunk. And it was all open-field stuff for the most part. That’s the first time we’ve tackled anybody, so that’s why you play these games. … We need to continue to emphasize it. … We’ve got work to do.”

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was supposed to be a big part of the run defense, but the Raiders recently decided to release him. This led to Las Vegas trading Jakorian Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles for defensive tackle Thomas Booker.

He’s not as big of a name as Wilkins, but he made some plays for a stacked Eagles defensive line. He’s excited to have a chance at a bigger role in Las Vegas.

“For me, it was just a confidence builder and understanding, at some point, you have to be the one that makes the decision that you’re going to make plays,” Booker said Saturday. “I took that step last year and I’m looking to take further steps with that this year.”