This past week the Las Vegas Raiders vastly improved their roster, particularly the defense. With most of the big names signed and cap room getting filled, the team now looks to add quality depth.
General manager Mike Mayock did just that when he signed Nick O’ Leary and Eric Kush. Both players figure to be camp bodies at this point. However, the O’ Leary signing is intriguing. The Raiders inked future Hall of Famer Jason Witten to a one-year deal earlier this week, which makes O’ Leary’s signing a head scratcher. The tight end position is now overcrowded, which leads to speculation that Foster Moreau might be out for an extended period of time.
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Raiders Blog: who should they add?
O’ Leary for his part is a former sixth round pick hailing from Florida State. He’s started 24 games since 2015, and some brief career totals for the tight end are 53 receptions and 668 receiving yards.
Eric Kush, former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman, was the other body added by Mayock this weekend. Offensive line is the one unit on a team that can never have too much quality depth if the financial flexibility is there. If the Raiders decide to stick it out with Gabe Jackson, adding Kush provides some good depth.
Since the 2013 season, Kush has 19 career starts at various positions in the interior of the line. He’s played center as well as left and right guard, and only has seven penalties called against him in his career. Kush has shown he can be flexible and that can beneficial as the season progresses.
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