Free agency has tapered down now. But the Raiders were plenty active. The Antonio Brown and Trent Brown deals showed Gruden and Mayock together are capable of making a big splash to address two..."Free agency has tapered down now. But the Raiders were plenty active. The Antonio Brown and Trent Brown deals showed Gruden and Mayock together are capable of making a big splash to address two major needs. The secondary was attacked with the signing of LaMarcus Joyner. Even linebacker gained new faces with the signing of Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall who figure to add some veteran stability in the middle.But edge rusher? Still easily the biggest hole on the roster.The lone additions were Josh Mauro and Alex Barrett https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey , two players who have done little to prove they can rush the passer in the NFL. No disrespect to Mauro who could end up being a fan favorite for his run stopping ability, but he isn’t much of a pass rusher. And Barrett has only played meaningful minutes in the now defunct AAF. These two additions at defensive end don’t give fans much hope who keep looking at the 2018 sack total and wondering when a pass rusher will be added..The Raiders have put all their eggs in the draft basket and will need to hit home-runs on draft picks targeting an edge rusher (or two) later this month. The 4th overall pick could net one but it’s also possible blue chip prospects Nick Bosa and Josh Allen are off the board by the time the Raiders make their selection. Those two would be no brainers and instantly upgrade the position if available.But let’s take a look at who the Raiders might target later on if they don’t land one of those two with their first pick.Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesClelin Ferrell, Clemson, Round 1Ferrell is a power rusher and pushes offensive linemen around every play. Possessing the requisite size (6’4 265) for Paul Guenther’s scheme, Ferrell would be a perfect value if still on the board when the Raiders make the 24th pick.Ferrell was a leader on the National Championship team that took out powerhouse Alabama earlier this year, he made big plays throughout his career to back up his status as a first round defensive end.A do-it-all player who can stop the run to rush the passer, Ferrell was even asked to drop into coverage at times to take away the RPO schemes that have taken over college football. Thought of as one of the best defensive ends in the country when the season started, but other defensive ends like Brian Burns, Montez Sweat, and even Rashan Gary have gained traction.It seems like Ferrell is losing steam in the eyes of talent evaluators and if available when the Raiders make their picks later in the first round, Ferrell would be a slam dunk.Chase Winovich, Michigan, Round 2Winovich played on a heralded defense boasting several future NFL draft picks. While the defensive end playing opposite from Winovich, Rashan Gary, gets much of the spotlight, Winovich outplayed him most games the two took the field. The Michigan defensive end isn’t the biggest player on the edge but he is a fundamentally sound player who uses great technique to win against the pass and run.Boasting an excellent get off and strength at the point of attack he is a player who can be counted on to make an instant impact on defense. While Winovich isn’t the prototypical size for a 4-3 defense, he is close in size to Khalil Mack (6’3” 255) and blew up the combine with excellent scores all around. Landing a player like Winovich in the 2nd round would be a great consolation prize should the Raiders decide to go in other directions away from edge rusher in round 1.Anthony Nelson, Iowa, Round 3-4Nelson is a player who doesn’t get enough love. At 6’7”, 270lbs Womens Derek Carr Jersey , he towers over most linemen and uses his 83 inch wingspan to knock blockers back. Nelson isn’t the flashy speed rusher that some others are in this draft, but he can get it done with the bull rush and an already developed inside counter.When it comes to defending the run, Nelson is a tough man to block and will bully tackles who get in his way.Coming from the Iowa Hawkeyes, a program well known for churning out plug and play NFL players, Nelson is capable of starting in year 1. Coming into the combine, evaluators downplayed Nelson’s athleticism but he did after posting combine numbers that place him in the top tier of defensive lineman from a testing perspective its a tough sell to say the big man from Iowa isn’t talented enough to replicate his success in the NFL.Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan, Round 5Crosby gained steam after a strong combine. Not only did he weigh in at a hair under 6’5” and 255 lbs, he posted elite to great numbers across athletic testing notably a 6.89 3-cone drill and 4.66 40-yard dash. Pro Football Focus knew about him before he made a name for himself in Indianapolis and gave him a top 5 grade among draft eligible defensive ends in 2018.When you watch Crosby on tape you won’t be blown away with his play but you also won’t come away discouraged. He doesn’t stand out in any one area and but is solid in just about everything from rushing with speed, power, or defending the run. Against non Power 5 competition, Crosby had great production notching 2 impact plays every game he played in (sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, or pass deflection) tying him for 9th among draft eligible defensive ends. He has the physical traits to develop into a starting defensive end but that likely won’t happen right away.Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T, Round 6-7From the same school where the Raiders selected offensive tackle Brandon Parker in the 3rd round of the 2018 NFL draft, Johnson could be the second player taken from the small school.Indeed the Raiders are doing their homework on him and were one of 13 team in attendance at his pro day.It’s safe to say the small school defensive end is primed to be taken in the NFL draft. At 6-6 250 lbs, Johnson has the size Paul Guenther covets. He posted 19.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in his final season of college football, proving he can dominate against the lower level of competition. Like Brandon Parker it’s probably best for his development if he’s on the field sparingly as a rookie Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , but when the Raiders have so little edge defender depth, he would get the reps he needs to develop. It was family day at Raiders camp. They took the field to the sounds of "We Are Family". And they were taking that field having lost one of their own. Legendary Hall of Fame worthy wide receiver..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesSilver And Black Pride homepageHorizontal - WhiteSilver And Black Pridean Oakland Raiders communityFollow Silver And Black Pride online:Follow Silver And Black Pride on TwitterFollow Silver And Black Pride on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchSilver And Black Pride main menuFanpostsFanshotsRaidersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Raiders StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Raiders NewsYahoo Raiders Team PageYahoo Raiders ReportYahoo Raiders Depth ChartYahoo Raiders TransactionsYahoo Raiders PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Raiders training camp 2019 day 8 recap: Players and coaches don 21 jersey, Gruden has players watch film of Cliff BranchNew,16commentsPDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Raiders training camp 2019 day 8 recap: Players and coaches don 21 jersey, Gruden has players watch film of Cliff BranchTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailIt was family day at Raiders camp. They took the field to the sounds of “We Are Family”. And they were taking that field having lost one of their own. Legendary Hall of Fame worthy wide receiver Cliff Branch passed away Saturday at the age of 71. Branch was a fixture as a Raiders great. He spent his entire 14-year career with the team, winning three Super Bowls, and was seen at a great many Raiders functions. Upon arrival at Raiders camp there were a few number 21s that weren’t Gareon Conley. Wearing white number 21s for the offense were receiver Tyrell Williams, whose dad is a big time Raiders fan. And Derek Carr, a Bakersfield native whose uncle once suited up for the Raiders for a short stint.On defense, Vontaze Burfict and Lamarcus Joyner both were wearing black 21 shirts. As were a couple of coaches including Special Teams Coordinator Rich Bisaccia, wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett and assistant defensive backs coach Taver Johnson.“I’d like to just acknowledge that we’re really going to miss Cliff Branch,” said Jon Gruden. “Just terrible, terrible loss to the Raiders and football and everybody that knew him. A bunch of our players paid tribute to him today and our prayers are with him and his family. That’s a big loss for us.”Last night, Gruden had the players take time out of their team meetings and watch film of Branch in his heyday. “That was great, you know,” Gruden said of the film session. “He was a good friend. A good friend of mine and has been over the years. A good friend of everybody’s. I never saw Cliff Branch when he was down. He was always upbeat, great player, but I think our players have a good respect for who he was.”“I think the message is, number one, just give him his respect. Have a moment of silence and enjoy life while you’re here. Life is way too short. We never expected to lose Cliff when we did and that was the message honestly Antonio Brown Jersey White , and let’s try to go out there and represent what he would want us to do.”Those kinds of moments make a strong impression on the players. Especially young players who maybe aren’t as familiar with how the Raiders honor their former players. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs was impacted by it.“He just stressed family and the team as a family and paying homage to the people that came before you,” Jacobs said of Gruden’s approach. “[Branch was] one of the greatest receivers to never be in the Hall of Fame right now. He (Gruden) just pays homage to him and then not only that we study a lot of the older guys and things like that and he’s around practices talking to people and things like that. So we have players that actually have relationships with him. It’s a tragic situation.”It’s interesting even the young rookie mentions that Cliff Branch was never inducted into the Hall of Fame. It’s a stain on the Pro Football Hall of Fame that players like Branch and Ken Stabler never got to have their moment in Canton. Stabler was inducted a year after his death and Branch figures to be headed for the same fate. If they induct him at all, that is.“He never missed a game, three [time] Super Bowl winner,” Gruden said of Branch’s Hall of Fame bonafides. “Possibly one of the top three or four deep receivers that I’ve seen play. I think he should be in, but that’s for another day.”I would say it’s not for another day. Today seems like the perfect day for that conversation. But that’s just me.Defensive play of the dayWe have our first interception! It came from Erik Harris. Mike Glennon dropped back and look right and threw it right into Harris’s waiting arms. Hard to tell where the ball was supposed to go, but Harris was in the right place at the right time to pick it and he had an entourage to the end zone.Catch of the dayIt wasn’t a high flying day. They took it easy for the most part. Most players barely broke a sweat. They had their families waiting for them after practice. That being said, Foster Moreau had a pretty good catch, getting behind Kyle Wilber to make an over-the-should grab from Nathan Peterman. Unfortunately a couple plays later, he got Peterman sacked when safety Curtis Riley got by him on the blitz. So, give and take.InjuriesIt was a light day for a few Raiders players. Jalen Richard was limited with a groin injury, Darren Waller returned after missing Saturday’s practice with a shoulder issue, but he didn’t do anything following warmups, and Tyrell Williams also sat out following warmups.Antonio Brown was not out there, still dealing with his mysterious foot shedding issue. Others still out were Paul Butler (undisclosed), Gabe Wright (knee), Eddie Vanderdoees (concussion) and Quinton Bell (undisclosed). And of course Denzelle Good (back) is on PUP and Keith Smith (knee) is still on NFI.