The Las Vegas Raiders‘ roster isn’t likely to undergo any major changes in the coming weeks, but the team will continue to tinker with smaller moves. With training camp about to start for the whole team, they decided to make a few moves.
The Raiders announced that they have signed wide receiver Deven Thompkins, linebacker Buddy Johnson and defensive end Patrick Johnson. Thompkins was recently with the Buffalo Bills this offseason, but they cut him. He has familiarity with general manager John Spytek, as he was an undrafted free agent signing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 when he was still in that front office.
Thompkins spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons and has 29-career catches. The Raiders’ linebacker corps was very young behind Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, so they decided to bring in another veteran in Buddy Johnson. He was a fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. He has bounced around the NFL, and the Raiders will be his seventh team. He has mostly played special teams in his career.
Patrick Johnson was also part of the 2021 draft class, as he was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. He has played 70 games throughout his career, but only got his first sack last season. He’s also mostly a special teams player.
Fernando Mendoza Ready for First Training Camp
While there’s plenty of intrigue at the Raiders’ training camp, most people around the league will be watching the quarterback battle. Rookie No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza will be facing off with veteran Kirk Cousins.
Mendoza understands that the Raiders may want to bring him along slowly, but he’s going to still do whatever he can to get on the field.
“It just takes,” Mendoza told Raiders.com, “it’s all these different perspectives of how people have done things in previous offenses – how they attack learning the playbook, the play calls – there’s just so many different intricacies with an offense. As a quarterback you need to be, essentially, all-knowing of the offense for your teammates to have confidence in you when you step out on that field. I have such great resources of information, whether it be the coaches, my teammates, especially in the quarterback room.
“It’s basically all in the palm of my hand and I just need to take advantage of it.”
Rookie Teammate Praises Mendoza
Mendoza is still learning his teammates, but the incoming rookies should know him well. Keyron Crawford played against the quarterback when he was at Auburn, and he had a great game.
Though he didn’t get to know Mendoza super well, he feels like the fame hasn’t gotten to him and had some big praise for the fellow rookie.
“He’s definitely the same guy, yeah, but he’s also 10 times better,” Crawford told Raiders.com.
“He’s tremendous, well-spoken and he definitely brings everything to the table. Not too many people see the same Fernando as they see on TV. Like, when they see him on TV and they see him on interviews and everything else, he’s nice. But in between those lines, Fernando is definitely a different person.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Raiders Sign 3 Players, Including Former Bills WR appeared first on HEAVY.