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The Las Vegas Raiders They started off on the right foot 5-2 and are tied for the best record in the AFC, but the injuries are starting to pile up. Tight ends have gotten the worst of it this season with Derek Carrier and Nick Bowers on injured reserve. Carrier doesn’t have a chance to come back, but Bowers could still come back.
Darren Waller is also beaten and missed the Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles due to an ankle injury. Fortunately, the Raiders are on their way to their week off and should start to recover. In the meantime, the team is adding depth to its tight end group. According to agent Travis Martz, Las Vegas will sign Daniel Helm to its active roster.
The NFL has eluded Helm since he was not drafted in 2019. He has left his mark mostly with the San Francisco 49ers but was also a part of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s had a hard time getting on the field but managed to play five times for the 49ers last season. Helm is more of a special teams player, but he could come in and offer some blocking on the attack.
Rich Bisaccia provides updates on Waller’s injury
It was a surprise that Waller couldn’t be on Sunday as he has been very tough for the Raiders. He played 16 games in each of the last two seasons. The team may have wanted to be cautious, but it’s never a good sign when one of your best players is wasting time for whatever reason.
Fortunately, the injury doesn’t sound too serious. On Monday, the interim head coach, Rich Bisaccia, referred to Waller’s situation as a day to day. This means that he could return soon. With the Raiders on his week off, Waller has plenty of time to recover. Foster Moreau is the biggest beneficiary as he becomes a starting tight end when Waller is out. However, he was hoping the Pro Bowler would be able to play on Sunday.
“We killed ourselves working with Darren the last 48 hours to try to get it ready”, in good hands with Moreau as holder.
“We think Foster is a starting tight end,” quarterback Derek Carr said Sunday. “So when he has to play, it’s not like, ‘Uh, man, Darren is out.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, it’s Foster’s turn to play.’ That is the mentality ”.
Based on Sunday’s game, it’s clear the Raiders have one of the best tight end pairs in the NFL.
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