Happy Easter. It is a very festive day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And since we’re covering the Raiders here, we’re looking at players raising their careers from the dead. And, in this process, we hope to take the team’s fortunes out of the depths as well.
This is a franchise classically known for the players they took out of the pile and returned to glory. They built championship teams in the early 1980s, with returning players such as Jim Plunkett, John Matuszak and Todd Christensen.
This continued their success in the early 2000s, with players such as Rich Gannon, Tyrone Wheatley and Lincoln Kennedy. And so far he lives with players like Darren Waller.
In this spirit and the spirit of Easter, we look at some current Raiders players who want to follow in the footsteps of these classic Raiders and awaken their careers again this season.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown (15 years old) runs with the ball against the corner of Nevin Lawson (26), during the second half of an NFL football game, on Sunday, October 4, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Photo by AP / David Becker)
Brown’s 2018 season saw him average 17 yards per catch over 15 rookies, which brought him a three-year contract with Bills. In his first season in Buffalo, he started 15 games and caught 72 passes for 1060 yards and six touchdowns.
Last season, he will appear in just nine games before landing on the rugged reserve, limiting him to 33 catches for 458 meters and three touchdowns. Then he was cut by Bill. He looks back to his former form with the Raiders.
October 7, 2018; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers defender Darius Philon (93) reacts after he fired Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) in the second half at StubHub Center. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Consecutive seasons with at least four sacks in 2017-18 brought Philon a two-year contract with the Cardinals. But an arrest warrant on charges ended up reducing him and he left the NFL awaiting trial. In February, the case was rejected, and the 27-year-old will finally have the chance to get his career back on track.
October 25, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Cory Littleton (42), the Las Vegas Raiders defender, tackles the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, running Leonard Fournette (28) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
A year ago, Littleton was the top leader in the free agent market. He was widely considered one of the best linebackers in football, earning a profitable long-term deal with the Raiders. Then the pandemic hit and Littleton faced a difficult task of learning a new, complicated defense without off-season practices. He hopes a full off-season with a new defensive coordinator can bring him back to the player he was with in the Rams.
November 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving (95) is trying to block a pass against Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Dallas won 31-26. Mandatory credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Substance abuse is what derailed Irving’s promising career. In 2017, he had seven sacks in eight starters before being suspended for the rest of the season. The following season he was suspended indefinitely after only two games and therefore missed all of 2019.
Last season, he jumped between the Raiders training team and the list of players. This will be his first complete off-season with a team from 2018 in a wide open competition at the DT place with 3 technologies.
December 15, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) during the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum Raiders final game before moving to Las Vegas for the 2020 season. Credit required: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
For Ngakoue, it’s about finding a home and a team that really wants him. When he was signed by the Raiders on a two-year, $ 26 million deal last month, he joined his fourth team in a calendar year.
Ngakoue was Pro Bowler in his second season, in 2017, with 12 sacks and six forced throws. And, although he has never had less than eight sacks in any of the five NFL seasons, he was not seen as a game changer and certainly not as a down player.