Raiders consider signing edge rusher who retired because of NFL’s anti-marijuana stance
The Raiders got defensive tackle Maurice Hurst back Monday and are looking in to the possibility of adding David Irving, a former edge rusher from the Dallas Cowboys who was reinstated last week by the NFL after an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse.
Hurst, the Raiders top interior pass rusher, missed a 40-32 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders mounted their best pass rush of the season against the Chiefs despite being without Hurst, who was on the COVID-19 reserve list, and getting just four snaps from defensive end Carl Nassib, who left with a toe injury.
With Nassib expected to miss Sunday’s game against his former team — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and possibly additional games, the Raiders are considering whether to sign Irving, according to a team source.
A 6-foot-7, 290-pound defensive end, Irving has run afoul of both the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy as well as the league’s substance abuse restrictions. He served a four-game suspension for the former in 2017, a season in which he also missed time with concussion symptoms.
Despite the limited playing time, Irving had seven sacks in eight games.
Then two games in to the 2018 season, Irving received a four-game suspension for violating the policy on substances of abuse, at which time he said he’d be retiring from the NFL because of the NFL drug policy specifically with regards to marijuana.
Irving didn’t play at all in 2019 and for his career has 12 1/2 sacks in 37 games with 10 starts and five forced fumbles.
While he was sitting out, Irving, who has invested in cannabis-related businesses, talked about his retirement with Sports Illustrated.
“I know the perception people have of me is that I’m some sort of gangsta, homeless pothead,” Irving told Richie Whitt. “But I gave up football for a bigger cause. I want to change the bias toward marijuana. I want to educate America that it’s not a drug, it’s medicine. The real reason I’m not in the NFL is that I’d rather be out here saving lives.”
Irving had this to say about his own marijuana use:
“I’ve been smoking since I was in middle school. Always had a 3.0 GPA. Never had any trouble with the law. We just need to stop already with the lies and misconceptions. Marijuana is easing the pain of cancer patients. It’s adding years to dogs’ lives. It could help the NFL with its CTE problem, too. The stereotypes are nonsense. It’s just like prohibition, only 100 years later.”
While Irving was on suspension, the NFL in its new collective bargaining agreement decreased the testing frequency for marijuana as well as increasing the number of nanograms (from 35 to 150) required to qualify as a positive test.
Whatever Irving said to the NFL during the process getting back in the game apparently hit the mark, because he was officially reinstated Friday and the Raiders were the first team to come calling. He was in town Monday.
Irving’s defensive coordinator with the Cowboys was Rod Marinelli, and he also played with current Raiders Maliek Collins and Jeff Heath.
Marinelli told the Dallas Morning News in 2018 he had frank conversations with Irving about utilizing his talent.
“Everything I do is with guidance, when you’re dealing with men,” Marinelli said. “It’s about man-building. You give him guidance and go. But the man has got to grab it and go.”
With Nassib injured, the Raiders’ edge players are starters Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell with Arden Key in reserve. Ferrell has also done his share of work inside at tackle and is coming off the best game of his career against the Chiefs.
Players on the practice squad include Datone Jones and Chris Smith, both of whom were promoted for the Kansas City game, although Smith worked inside at tackle.
Cole, Carlson are thinking alike
At some point in their 13-year union as holder and place kicker, Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski stopped talking.
They talked plenty while playing a round of golf or shooting a game of pool, but it came time for a field goal, there was little more than a knowing glance. Lechler already knew based on the wind, weather and field conditions where Janikowski wanted the ball.
It mattered, too, because when Lechler left following the 2012 season to sign with the Houston Texans, Janikowski struggled with holder Marquette King to the point where backup quarterback Matt Schaub took over as holder. Janikowski and King eventually worked through it with endless repetition.
Current Raiders punter A.J. Cole and place kicker Daniel Carlson are working toward the Lechler-Janikowski relationship. The two trained together in the offseason and worked together all of 2019.
“One of our goals is to have the best battery in football,” Cole said during a video conference Monday. “We have a lot of communication about what the wind’s doing and how he wants the hold. It’s gotten to the point where it’s unspoken and Daniel will start to stay something and I’ll say, ‘I’ve got it.’ There’s a lot of things that don’t need to be said.”
After some struggles in his second year at the Coliseum, Carlson is 11 of 12 on field goal attempts — including three from 54 yards. Coach Jon Gruden even called on Carlson for a late 54-yard attempt when a miss would have given the ball back to Drew Brees in Week 2 with a chance to win.
Carlson made it.
“It’s very different kicking off dirt and with the wind at the Coliseum,” Carlson said. “The field in Las Vegas is unbelievable. The stadium is unbelievable. As a kicker you don’t have to worry about the conditions, which is nice.”
Arnette on COVID list
Cornerback Damon Arnette, who will miss at least one more game and probably more on injured reserve after undergoing thumb surgery, was added to the COVID-19 reserve list.
If Arnette returns as quickly as Maxx Crosby and Hurst, he’ll likely be off the COVID list well before he’s ready to play after surgery. Arnette has already missed two games and is eligible to return after the Tampa Bay game, but likely will be out longer since he’s coming off surgery.