Oakland Raiders: Additions made at defensive tackle, Justin Ellis to IR
The Oakland Raiders placed Justin Ellis on injured reserve with a foot injury. Who did the team sign to fill the void on the interior of the defensive line?
The Oakland Raiders placed nose tackle Justin Ellis on injured reserve Wednesday. The front office signed Johnathan Hankins and Clinton McDonald to fill the void.
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Michael Gehlken, the Raiders plan to activate Ellis at some point in the season. Teams can only bring a maximum of two players back from injured reserve.
Since the Raiders selected Ellis in the fourth round of the 2014 draft, he’s been a reliable run-stopper. However, the run defense allowed 140 yards in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, so it’s not a surprise to see two defensive linemen join the roster to help plug holes on the interior.
Johnathan Hankins
The New York Giants selected Hankins in the second round of the 2013 draft. After serving in a reserve role during his rookie year, he logged seven sacks in the following season.
In Week 9 of the 2015 campaign, Hankins tore his pectoral muscle, ending his season. He didn’t record a sack that year but flashed as a stout run defender through the first half of the term. During his fourth year, the 26-year old tallied three sacks and provided decent support against the ground attack.
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Last offseason, the Indianapolis Colts signed Hankins to a three-year, $27 million deal, per Spotrac. One year later, the team released him after a defensive schematic shift from Chuck Pagano’s staff to play-caller Matt Eberflus, who was supposed to serve under Josh McDaniels.
The New England Patriots offensive coordinator reneged on an agreement to become the Colts head coach, but general manager Chris Ballard kept his appointee for defensive coordinator—totally awkward.
Nonetheless, Hankins didn’t fit in Eberflus’ system, which explains his availability on the free-agent market. The sixth-year veteran has shown a versatile skill set in flashes, but he’s been unable to duplicate his 2014 showing, which packaged the totality of his skill set together for high production.
Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will likely continue to tinker with defensive line combinations to find the appropriate group capable of stopping the run with the quickness to apply pocket pressure. Hankins logged 12 sacks in five seasons. Typically, he’s a more effective run-stopper than pass-rusher.
Clinton McDonald
McDonald spent one year with the Cincinnati Bengals when Guenther served as linebackers and special teams coach. He didn’t record a sack until his fourth year in the league on the Seattle Seahawks defensive line.
Between the 2013-14 seasons with the Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McDonald logged 10.5 sacks. Ironically, in the same year as Hankins, he also suffered a pectoral injury, which ended his 2015 campaign. The pass-rushing defensive tackle recorded 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons.
McDonald signed a two-year, $7 million deal with the Denver Broncos during the offseason, but he underwent shoulder surgery in March and didn’t survive the September 1 cuts. McDonald has 19 sacks in eight seasons; he’s more of a seasoned veteran than Hankins with a consistent track record for reaching the quarterback.
Why did the Raiders sign two defensive tackles? For starters, the defensive line only generated five quarterback pressures against the Los Angeles Rams last week, per Pro Football Focus analyst Austin Gayle.
Secondly, in addition to Ellis going on injured reserve, defensive tackle P.J. Hall suffered an ankle injury. San Jose Mercury News reporter Matt Schneidman spotted the rookie second-rounder in a walking boot Wednesday.
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The Raiders needed to replenish their defensive line depth. Eddie Vanderdoes, who tore his ACL in December, remains on the physically unable to perform list, which keeps him out for the first six weeks of the season. Hankins and McDonald give the defense two healthy bodies with the versatility to stay on the field for all three downs.