Raiders unexpectedly take a stand that will heavily impact the offseason
The Las Vegas Raiders have a history of having players on their team that have issues off the field. But, within the last three years or so, it's been a pretty big issue. They drafted Henry Ruggs, who, I don't think we need to get into much detail about his actions off the field, as […]
The Las Vegas Raiders have a history of having players on their team that have issues off the field. But, within the last three years or so, it's been a pretty big issue.
They drafted Henry Ruggs, who, I don't think we need to get into much detail about his actions off the field, as I think most of us know what he did, and Damon Arnette, who has since been arrested twice it would appear per TMZ. Of course, there are others over the Raiders' history, but these are two of the more recent ones.
So, naturally, you would assume the Raiders would start staying away from guys who have shown issues off the field before, even though those two guys never foreshadowed that before becoming a Raider. Well, there is one guy in the draft who has been involved in some things off the field. Obviously, he hasn't been charged with anything crazy, but his name is still being brought up over and over again for reasons that don't pertain to football.
Jalen Carter, the Georgia defensive tackle, was the presumptive number-one pick when the Chicago Bears still had the pick. He was a guy that could be elite in the run game and pass rush as an interior defender, and maybe even a bit of edge.
but, his draft stock has fallen a lot, so much so that the Raiders will likely have a chance to take him if they wanted to. This is where everyone is saying stay away, because with the Raiders' luck, well, you just never know.
This year the Raiders have the seventh pick, and head coach Josh McDaniels let everyone know they would be going with the best player available strategy.
"I think we would take the best player," McDaniels said via NFL.com. "We've kind of said that since we came here. I think we think that's the right way to go. [General manager Dave Ziegler] and I both believe in that: Take the best football player. It always makes your football team better."
Vic Tafur, a journalist for The Athletic covering the Raiders, made the point in his recent story that the best available strategy doesn't apply to Carter, and they are out on drafting him, which I'm sure they aren't the only ones.
Carter is not an option for the Raiders at No. 7, having already been crossed off by the team, according to a league source. Carter had been charged with the two misdemeanors on March 1 after a police investigation concluded that Carter had been racing the car driven by Georgia recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy on the morning of Jan. 15. LeCroy’s car crashed, resulting in her death and the death of passenger Devin Willock, a Georgia offensive lineman. Carter was sentenced to one year of probation, a $1,000 fine and 80 hours of community service following his plea. While the cases are not the same, the comparison is too close to home for the Raiders and their fans in the Las Vegas community following the 2021 arrest of former receiver Henry Ruggs.
-Vic Tafur, The Athletic
The Raiders are taking a moral stand, as they make sure they don't get even close to something they have already dealt with before. I like this by the Raiders. I don't care how much potential Carter has, and I don't think they do either.
