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After the Raiders traded Khalil Mack on the eve of the season, Bruce Irvin became their best defenseman and the most expensive defensive player. That's what makes it so amazing to see that Raiders rarely use Irvin. during their embarrassing loss at 49ers on Thursday night, Irvin played nine shots. Against the Colts, a week ago, Irvin was on the field for 24 defensive shots.
So why are the Raiders keeping Irvin, their highest paid defensive player out of bounds? Jon Gruden can explain.
"We are now a 4-3 team, so in base defense, it sometimes does not fit the role we have to play," he said, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. "This is a high-tech forward, and we have not had a lot of head … His role has been reduced … I know he's frustrated … I'm frustrated …." .. he's a good player. "
Let's check on Irvin:
Irvin earned $ 8.25 million this season, placing him fourth behind Derek Carr ($ 25 million) and guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson ($ 10.5 million, according to Spotrac). Linebacker Tahir Whitehead is the closest defender with $ 6.375 million. Despite his salary, Irvin generated only three sacks. He is about to finish with six sacks, which would be his weakest performance with the Raiders.
We can discuss anything we want about his fit and if the Raiders had to find a way to score the best goal on their opponent, but what is undeniable is that Irvin will probably leave Oakland soon – and not for Las Vegas. He is under contract for the 2019 season, but according to Over The Cap, the Raiders can cut him off after the season without suffering any financial consequences. Given the state of the Raiders (bad and rebuilding) and the physical condition (non-existent) and age (31 years) of Irvin, it seems likely that Irvin plays elsewhere in the near future.
This is what makes it disappointing for the Raiders to not have found a way to exchange Irvin before the trade deadline. Even if they would only receive a conditional draft, a late pick would have been more valuable for a team that is rebuilding itself and who is not willing to use Irvin.
When the Rams exchanged against the Jaguars pass to the race Dante Fowler, Jason La Canfora, a CBS Sports insider in the NFL, reported that the Rams also planned to acquire Bruce Irvin and Shane Ray, but none of these players "excited them". The Rams eventually gave the Jaguars a third and fifth round pick for Fowler. According to Bair, the Raiders did not manage to move Irvin because it was difficult to find a team ready to accept his salary while his production was declining. As a result, the Raiders are now stuck with a player that they do not know how to use.
It is telling that while the Raiders are stumbling on what could very easily be a 1-15 season, they have made their highest paying defensive player totally useless.
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