After spending less than a season with the Las Vegas Raiders, the team is moving on and will cut linebacker Germaine Pratt. According to the breaking news, after not traveling for the recent game against the Colts, the Raiders are deciding to release the veteran. Head Coach Pete Carroll didn’t detail specifics on what went wrong, but Pratt wasn’t happy with his latest demotion on the team, and that could be an indication of frustration. Pratt was a healthy scratch for the game and more than likely didn’t have an excuse to not travel.
Originally selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, the former NC State product spent his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before getting cut this past offseason due to struggles in production. The latest release gives him a fresh start with a new team, since the Raiders already had a deep group of linebackers between Jamal Adams, Elandon Roberts and Devin White, so there wasn’t a lot of room for growth on this defense. The Raiders probably did Pratt a favor, as they don’t look like a serious contender coming off the brutal loss against the Colts. Pratt should have suitors as soon as this week, and these three teams could pursue him in a possible deal.
Breaking: Raiders Cut Former Third-Round Pick Germaine Pratt; 3 Suitors Emerge
Possible Next Teams
Dallas Cowboys
Even though the Dallas Cowboys are coming off one of their best wins on defense, it was just the New York Jets. They must continue to build a championship defense that wants to win in the right moments against one of the best offenses, and the recent win shows that they have the talent there, but consistency has to remain intact. Marist Liufau is the latest rising talent who has been turning heads, while Dante Fowler Jr. is showing signs of life. However, they still need help when it comes to the playoffs, and after trading away Micah Parsons, they haven’t found a true replacement.
The team signed Jadeveon Clowney for experience, but he’s too old and probably won’t do much anymore. Pratt joining this linebacker room should give the Cowboys a new, fresh breath of air. Jack Sanborn is nursing an injury, so Pratt is easily a temporary solid replacement and can share the snaps with Sanborn once he returns.
Baltimore Ravens
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens are sitting at 1-4 and without Lamar Jackson on offense. They’re mathematically still a postseason team since it’s never too late to turn things around, but Jackson is expected to miss more time. With linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo entering the free agent market next offseason, they most likely can only afford to bring back one.
Pratt is younger and can turn into a solid replacement in a starting role if Van Noy doesn’t return. He doesn’t need to be Ray Lewis 2.0, but enough to get some solid tackles and be a ferocious aerial attack disruptor.
New England Patriots
After getting a statement win over the Buffalo Bills, no one should count out the New England Patriots. However, the offense might be on fire, but defense wins championships, and they’ve proven that with just one win. Just like the Ravens, the Patriots have a deep linebacker group between Harold Landry, Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss. Pratt could squeeze into this unit and find a role to make an impact.
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