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Oakland Raiders Depending on Youth to Keep Front 7 Formidable

October 19, 2015   ·     ·   Jump to comments

The Oakland Raiders will depend on a pair of rookies to compensate for roster attrition and weaknesses within the front seven.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders placed defensive end Justin Tuck on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle suffered in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
To put Tuck’s importance in perspective, he ranked 11th overall among 51 defensive ends in a 3-4 alignment, per Pro Football Focus. He’ll likely continue to provide vocal leadership behind the scenes and from the sidelines, but his on-field production comes to an end in 2015.
 
Mario Edwards Jr.
It’s the next-man-up mentality for the Raiders, and rookie defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. must take on an expanded role from Week 7 onward. Oakland’s second-round pick brought some cheers and skepticism on draft day.
Edwards’ skill set as a gap-stuffer and run-stopper at Florida State didn’t fulfill Oakland’s ...

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