2023 East-West Shrine Bowl Underway in Las Vegas
The 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl is officially underway in Las Vegas, as practices started on Saturday, Jan. 28, leading up to the 98th Shrine Bowl game at Allegiant Stadium.
This is the second year Allegiant Stadium has hosted the Shrine Bowl in a row. While the Raiders won’t be coaching either of the teams, it’s a chance for General Manager Dave Ziegler, Coach Josh McDaniels, and company to get a first-hand look at some 2023 NFL Draft prospects practicing in their backyard and playing in their stadium.
The East team is coached by the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff, while the West team is coached by members of the New England Patriots staff -- where McDaniels spent a great deal of his career.
The Shrine Bowl is specifically designed for college seniors who attended universities from the Eastern United States and the Western United States. However, Canadian players have recently been invited to participate in the game.
Also, the Shrine Bowl allows players still eligible to play for their school to participate in the game. A couple of current Raiders are alumni of the game, including punter AJ Cole and tight end Darren Waller. Some notable players in this year’s game are Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Wake Forest wide receiver AT Perry.
The Shrine Bowl also gives players who might not be top-tier prospects the opportunity to showcase their skill sets and make a case to be drafted. For the Raiders, who are entering a pivotal off-season, the game being in Las Vegas allows them to get an up-close look at some players they could take in the late rounds of the NFL Draft or even sign as high-priority undrafted free agents.
Many players in the NFL today played in the Shrine Bowl, including eight 2022 Pro Bowlers. Players from small schools who did not get the exposure during their careers as those at larger schools received an opportunity to meet face-to-face with coaches and build relationships with them.
The East-West Shrine Bowl game takes place on Thursday, Feb. 2, at Allegiant Stadium. The game kicks off at 5:30 pm eastern time and can be seen on NFL Network.
The NFL Scouting Combine is Feb. 28-March 6, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. March 7, 2023, before 4 p.m. EST, is the club's deadline to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
March 13-15 is the free agent negotiation period. During that time, starting at 12 p.m. EST on March 13 and ending at 3:59:59 p.m. EST on March 15, clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2022 Player Contracts at 4 p.m EST on March 15.
The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period begins at 4 p.m. EST on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.
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