Raiders Training Camp Preview: Edge Rushers
A new era has begun for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The regime of Josh McDaniels and company will be in full effect this summer as the Raiders report to training camp in preparation for the 2022 regular season.
McDaniels inherited a young pass rusher who is eager and excited to get back on the field and work next to one of the best sackers in the NFL.
"It's here now. It's super exciting, every single year it's a new challenge, new goals, new things going on. But it's football at the end of the day so there's nothing more I'd rather be doing on earth. we're fired up," said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on returning back to training camp.
The “Expected” Starters
Crosby has to be one of the most excited players to return to the field.
In 2021, Crosby was named second team All-Pro, first of his career and capped off the season as the Pro Bowl Defensive MVP in front of his home team crowd.
He will be looking to improve on last year’s performance with the help of All-Pro Chandler Jones.
Jones is reuniting with Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who he played for and won a Super Bowl as a member of the New England Patriots.
The All-Pro edge rusher has 107.5 credited sacks to his career, second-most among active players.
He’s coming off a season where he recorded 10.5 sacks as a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
In his five seasons in Arizona ,Jones recorded at least 10 sacks in a single season in four of his five years.
Together with Crosby they will be looking to become the best pass-rushing duo in the league.
“We ready to go though, I can tell you that, we definitely ready to go, oh yeah!” said Jones during training camp.
The Returning Players
Time may be running out for the former first round pick Clelin Ferrell. Earlier this year the Raiders declined his fifth-year option, so he will be looking to prove to the new coaching staff that he is worth resigning and can live up to the expectation that comes from being drafted as a first rounder.
Malcolm Koonce, last year's third-round pick showed great promise in spite of only playing in five games last season.
The versatility of both players could find themselves lining up in various positions and playing more time under Graham's multiple defense.
Gerri Green was once in the Patriots practice squad.
He joined the Raiders' practice squad in Nov. 2020 and signed with the club as a reserve/future free agent in Jan. 2021.
He will be competing against the younger acquisitions who are also trying to make the team as a quality back up.
The New Acquisitions
Tashawn Bower is another player who spent time in New England, playing two seasons for the Patriots (2020-2021).
Last season, he appeared in four games with the Minnesota Vikings and two with the Patriots, totaling four tackles (two solo), one tackle for loss and one sack.
The Rookies
Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Zach VanValkenburg, are two undrafted free-agents (UDFA) trying to make a case that they can compete with the rest of the veterans on the team.
Tagovailoa-Amosa is cousins with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and had experience playing defensive tackle and edge rusher in his time at Notre Dame.
VanValkenburg was named second-team All-Big Ten his last two seasons at Iowa.
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