Silver Minings: Isaac Rochell activated from practice squad

Gives the team 4 DEs for Denver

With Chandler Jones being ruled out for the Las Vegas Raiders Week 1 matchup with the Denver Broncos, the Raiders activated defensive end Isaac Rochell from the practice squad to give themselves four players at the position for Sunday.

Rochell was added to the practice squad at the end of last season and spent training camp in Las Vegas this summer. He was a standout in the team’s first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers but suffered an injury during joint practices with the Los Angeles Rams and didn’t participate in the other two games last month, leading to him getting cut.

As for Sunday, we know Maxx Crosby will be starting at one of the Raiders’ two defensive end spots but who’s on the other side between rookie Tyree Wilson and three-year veteran Malcolm Koonce is a question.

That makes Rochell the team’s fourth option and could mean he still doesn’t dress for the game if the coaching staff is comfortable rolling with three defensive ends. Las Vegas could also have defensive tackle Jerry Tillery take reps at end if need be, so I wouldn’t expect the practice squad call-up to get much action in Denver.

In other Raiders’ links:

• 5 players who need to step up: it will be a big debut for Wilson as he might get an unexpected first start. Koonce could also be making his first NFL start as both players will play a big role.
• Time for takeaways: “Let’s see the explosive plays the team talked big about and showed in the preseason in regular season action,” writes Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria.
• Nate Hobbs born to be a Raider: “The Las Vegas Raiders revamped defense will lean heavily on Hobbs in 2023, and he was born to be a Raider,“ via Just Blog Baby’s Keith Ricci.
• Jimmy Garoppolo ready to prove everyone wrong: “I mean, every year you try to prove yourself,” Garoppolo said via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “You try to prove yourself every year. And what you did in the past is all cool and everything, you get pats on the back for it, but it doesn’t really count for this year too much.