New Raiders DE Kony Ealy holds an NFL record. Can he help?

ALAMEDA – Only one player in NFL history has recorded an interception and several bags in the same Super Bowl.

This player had been unemployed since September 1st until the Raiders signed him on Monday.

Kony Ealy, who scored an interception, forced the tac-tac and three sacks for the Panthers in the Super Bowl's 24-10 loss to the Peyton Manning Broncos in 2016, is the latest to make one most defensive tournaments.

He left the training ground with Marco Coleman, assistant defensive line coach, almost 10 minutes after each defender, on Thursday, catching up on his short week of preparation but wanting to give the Raiders a boost against the Chargers on Sunday. .

Since his historic performance less than three years ago, Ealy has spent time with the Patriots, the Jets, the Cowboys and now the Raiders. He has not been able to reproduce this Super Bowl night, or anything close, in his last three saves. But the Raiders (1-7) are hoping their new defensive team can give them something, no matter what, to strengthen an anemic pass in the second half this season.

"He's a guy who played in the Super Bowl, with two different teams. He's a physical guy, a tough guy, who has a lot of defense experience, "said Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther about the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Ealy player. "We're just trying to find the right mix of guys. We are changing the list a bit just to find guys who are right for us, not only for the moment but for the future. "

Ealy is only 26 years old, she is young for this team and was chosen for the second round in 2014 by Missouri. He has amassed 18 sacks, 101 combined tackles, 15 defensive passes, three interceptions and six forced fumbles during his career. He started only 20 of the 67 games in his career, but Ealy's debut came on the defensive side that the Raiders lacked this season.

"You know that Kony Ealy had a production in some important moments," said Raiders coach Jon Gruden, in addition to noting that Ealy's arsenal also includes covering the ends tight first and third down.

The Panthers traded Ealy and a third round pick against the Patriots for a second round in March 2017, but the Patriots dropped him before he played a match. The Jets have claimed for exemptions. Ealy has played 15 games with nine defended passes but only one bag and 14 tackles combined in 2017. He signed with the Cowboys as a free agent during the last off season, but was released on the day of the roster cut in September. .

So what will it take for Ealy to regain that ephemeral dominance of his early years in the league? Because the Raiders would have no doubt that it is resurfacing here in Oakland.

"Get settled, focus really on my game. I have good coaches, a great opportunity to do it. As long as I reduce the game, I'll go out on the field and play for the team, "Ealy said Thursday. "… just the style of play, I have the impression that it was a good fit. Coach Gruden, (Guenther), all my coaches make me feel at home. For me, it's all about bringing down the game book. In this way, I feel comfortable and free to move faster and play. "

Ealy said the signing with the Raiders was "sudden" and that it was difficult to watch the first nine weeks of the season from his couch. He took a rare advantage of watching games from afar: he could edit his own repertoire with fragments of pieces he had seen on television.

Now, he will implement them in a unit that has already lost its two best players since September 1st. With Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin gone, the Raiders left with rookie Arden Key, veteran Frostee Rucker, second-year DE Fadol Brown, and new signatory Jacquies Smith on defense. It does not hurt to take Ealy, who showed that she could prosper in the league, has nothing to lose in 2018.