The Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for OTAs, and that has led to quite a bit of roster movement. Recently, the team announced that they were waiving veteran defensive tackle Brodric Martin.
The 26-year-old defender cleared waivers after no team claimed him, which gave the Raiders the ability to keep him in the building. However, he’s not going to be practicing right now.
The Raiders announced that they’ve placed Martin on the Injured Reserve. That means he’s still part of the team, but won’t count against the 90-man roster right now.
It’s unclear what his injury is. With players who are on the fringes of the roster, it’s difficult to know if it’s a very serious injury or just a way for the Raiders to keep him in the building without using a roster spot on him while he recovers from a minor injury.
Martin joined the Raiders last season, but didn’t play a game for them. The team just signed his former teammate Benito Jones, who plays the same position. Once Martin is healthy, it could be hard for him to get a spot back on the roster, but the Raiders clearly like him enough to keep him around.
Raiders Defense Could Be a Strength This Season
The Raiders were the worst team in the NFL last season, but that was mostly due to the offense. The offense was last in the NFL in several key categories, including points scored per game.
The defense was actually decent, and the Raiders have done a lot to upgrade this offseason. They used six of their 10 draft picks on defensive players and spent big on key veterans like Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Kwity Paye.
Plus, they got a motivated Maxx Crosby back in the building. Though he was traded for a brief moment, he’s happy with what the Raiders have done.
“I think depth has been something we seem to be focusing on. When you have turnover as we have, you struggle to have depth,” Crosby on “The Rush” podcast. “New coaches come in, and they want their certain guys … We have not had the same green dot guy for more than two years that I have been here. That is important … You got to have consistency.”
OL Is Still Biggest Question Mark
While the defense could be solid, it remains to be seen how good the offense will be. The offensive line was a disaster last year, and it’s hard to score points when you can’t block.
Luckily, the group seems headed in the right direction. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer thinks the offensive line does have some potential.
“I think the ceiling would be the higher end of a middle-of-the-pack line,” Breer wrote. “Kolton Miller’s a good left tackle, Tyler Linderbaum’s a kick-ass center. Spencer Burford is a decent starter at guard, and there’s upside to mine with Jackson Powers-Johnson at the other guard spot. And with Dennison developing the line under Klint Kubiak, it’s fair to say, as you’re referencing here, there’s a chance for Las Vegas to do more with less.
“The top 10 would probably be pushing it, but I think they can be a lot better.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Raiders Send 26-Year-Old Defender to Injured Reserve appeared first on HEAVY.