Oakland Raiders: Damontre Moore Must Mature Under Zero-Tolerance Leadership

The Oakland Raiders acquired defensive end Damontre Moore. He’s classified as a boom-or-bust pickup. What’s the risk in this latest roster addition? Is he worth the reward?

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Who is Damontre Moore and what does he bring to the Oakland Raiders’ table?

For starters, the talented pass-rusher earned the nickname “DaMonster” during his stay at Texas A&M. He stepped into the Aggies lineup as a premier pass-rusher after Von Miller’s departure to the pros.

As a draft prospect, Moore earned first-round grades on pure talent but mid-round stock due to maturity issues.

Here’s an excerpt from a draft profile provided by WalterFootball.com in 2013:

"Scouts stated they love Moore‘s motor as he plays balls to the wall for all 60 minutes. Thus, Moore is a tough evaluation because his effort on the field and off the field are completely different.For Moore to pan out, he will need to go to a good coaching staff and locker room that can provide him with guidance and leadership to force him to mature. Moore could play 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end in the NFL. If he goes to the latter, he should add 10-20 pounds of muscle to help him hold up at the point of attack."

Please keep this assessment in mind.

At 20 years old, the New York Giants drafted Moore with a third-round pick. He didn’t record a start in 42 games with the team but managed to log 8.5 sacks during his tenure.

Nonetheless, the Giants released Moore in his third year. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported an issue involving headphones, but the defensive end pointed to a build up within the locker room via 98.7 ESPN Radio in New York:

"The crazy thing about it is, I don’t really necessarily look at it as over a Beats by Dre headphone. I think it’s a compilation, just a combination of things that built up over time. The way the situation fully just unfolded and evolved, I just felt like as a teammate and a brother, things should’ve been handled a certain way. But also, I should’ve handled things a certain way. Maybe talking it out a little more and walking away from it."

For Moore, the headphones tipped over a full cup of outrage and frustration. The Giants were fed up, and Moore had enough.

When pulling back the curtain, there’s a lot more to the story prior to the headphones incident. Moore frequently engaged in shouting matches with teammates and cursed then-head coach Tom Coughlin, per FOX Sports reporter Jay Glazer:

Throughout the season, it seems as though he became a knuckle-head on the field, per Bleacher Report’s Patricia Traina:

It’s not a smear campaign against Moore, it simply shows why such a talented player would have difficulties remaining on an NFL roster.

After the Giants cut ties, the Dolphins claimed him off waivers late in the previous season. According to Moore via Palm Beach Post reporter Andrew Abramson, he was ready to turn his pro career around and “make magic happen” after an immature start in New York:

Without negative reports about his locker room etiquette, the Dolphins also moved on from the talented pass-rusher, but the Raiders threw the potential third strike with Moore at the plate, per CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair:

How will this turn out?

Let’s visit the draft profile from WalterFootball.com that discussed legitimate concerns about Moore’s maturity, which specifically states the type of locker room required to help him succeed as a pro.

Del Rio runs a no-nonsense environment. Current Buffalo Bills safety Jonathan Dowling didn’t fit in the locker room, and he received the boot after two seasons, per Bair:

"Dowling was an eccentric sort, and his personality sometimes didn’t mesh well with others in the locker room during his rookie year. Immaturity was believed to be an issue last season, especially when he was involved in unflattering rumors and internet posts connecting him to reality stars from the VH1 reality show “Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood."

Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams formerly known as the St. Louis Rams. He didn’t create a locker room ruckus, but he didn’t play with discipline on the field. In 2014, he signed with Oakland and flashed an impressive offseason in 2015. Unfortunately, Armstrong showed immaturity prior to the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became subject to felony chargers after barking at an on-duty K-9, per WTAE’s Marcie Cirpriani:

Despite clearance from charges, per Cipriani, the Raiders released Armstrong approximately two weeks after the incident.

Oakland’s management isn’t in the mood for shenanigans and immaturity.

If Moore doesn’t play nice with his new teammates, challenges the head coach’s philosophy, commits to poor decisions off the field or fails to bring his A-game at defensive coordinator Ken Norton‘s practices, he’ll hit the road.

Nonetheless, the Raiders are open to giving out second-chance opportunities.

The Raiders also opened their doors to pass-rusher Aldon Smith who’s currently serving a suspension.

To a much lesser extent rookie Connor Cook left Michigan State with stains on his on-field demeanor and leadership qualities, per NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

Point being, the Raiders are willing to roll the dice on talented players with character issues or red flags on their resumes. Though, a sign of defiance or insubordination ends the attempt at redemption.

However, a lack of vocal leaders within the locker room works against Moore’s development. Will defensive lineman Khalil Mack pull his new teammate aside if he spirals out of control?

We’ll see.

The oft-criticized pass-rusher needs someone with extensive experience to show him how a professional takes care of business throughout the week. Justin Tuck, a fellow defensive end with success in the league, would’ve been the perfect guy in the locker room to work with Moore on his off-field issues.

Overall, it’s a low-risk, high-reward acquisition, but Moore’s snaps would better serve rookie Shilique Calhoun who plays the same position.

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The veteran will have another opportunity to approach his profession the right way, but the Raiders will have to keep a closer eye on his off-field development. As a young team with playoff aspirations, there’s no time to provide unnecessary babysitting services.

Grow up or get out.