Germaine Pratt signing puts pressure on veterans to perform

Somewhat by necessity, the Las Vegas Raiders revamped their linebacker corps this offseason.

With Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo taking contracts elsewhere in free agency, the Raiders were looking at two new starters in the middle of their defense. They signed Elandon Roberts and Devin White to one-year contracts, selected Cody Lindenberg in the seventh round of April’s draft and signed Jaylon Smith after he tried out at rookie minicamp in May. However, the team was clearly not done making moves to bolster that group, signing former Cincinnati Bengal Germaine Pratt to a one-year deal on Wednesday.

Pratt’s signing certainly alleviates concerns the Raiders might have with their linebackers, but it does create some tension for some of their new signings.

Pratt joining the Raiders is a wakeup call for the veteran linebackers to step up over the next couple of months.

Pratt can be penciled in as a starter next to Roberts, so White and Smith may now have gone from veteran depth to fighting for a roster spot.

White and Smith make no guaranteed money on their deals, so the Raiders have no financial incentives to keep them on the roster if they were to move on. Along with that, the two veterans are also competing with younger linebackers such as Lindenberg, Amari Gainer and Tommy Eichenberg. Even more concerning is that Roberts has already provided a stamp of approval for Eichenberg, suggesting his spot on the roster is a bit more secure.

“Man, these young ones, these young guys, they really push me,” Roberts said of the 2024 fifth-round pick. “Tommy Eichenberg is doing a great job in our room, and then (linebackers coach John Glenn), he brings the juice every day. I feel very, very excited about our room.”

Another point is that, despite White and Smith being around the same age as Pratt, both have not produced at the high level that their new teammate has over the past few seasons.

Smith was out of football last season, and he has not had a consistent role on defense since 2022 with the New York Giants. White did play last season with the Houston Texans, but he struggled mightily, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 57 (130th out of 189 qualifying players). While they do bring veteran depth, it is fair to wonder whether the Raiders will prioritize that over the potential of their younger players.

White and Smith were not necessarily guarantees to crack the 53-man roster to begin with, and Pratt’s arrival only makes their situation more tenuous.