As the Las Vegas Raiders have been putting together their coaching staff, new general manager John Spytek has avoided making any roster moves. Now that the staff is set, he’s starting to tinker a bit.
The Raiders announced that they have signed wide receiver Kyle Philips to the roster. Philips just won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. He didn’t play any snaps for the team this season but did spend most of the year on their practice squad.
Philips also has close ties to new Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. He was at UCLA for four years while Kelly was the head coach. Kelly knows the wide receiver well so it’s likely that this is the first roster move that he pushed for.
The coach’s offenses aren’t known to be overly complex but having players who understand the system will only help. Kelly will likely push to bring in more of his former players in the coming weeks and months.
Philips first came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans and lasted two seasons with them. He had 23 catches for 259 yards in those two seasons. He could be an option as a slot receiver for the Raiders if Kelly thinks he can make an impact.
Raiders Cut Keenan Isaac
In order to make room for Philips, the Raiders decided to cut cornerback Keenan Isaac. The 25-year-old spent much of last season on the team’s practice squad. He was signed to a Reserve/Future contract prior to Spytek being hired.
Notably, Isaac was an undrafted free agent signing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while Spytek was still there. The cornerback even spent time with the team this season. Spytek must not have liked what he saw. He could be on the Raiders’ radar later in the offseason but for now, he’s going to have to look for employment elsewhere.
Chip Kelly’s Offense to Be Built Around the Run
Kelly has been part of the public eye for a long time due to his flashy offenses at Oregon. While he is known to have some flare in his offense, he’s not all about passing.
Tashan Reed and Ted Nguyen of The Athletic did a film breakdown of Kelly’s recent offensive changes and believe that he’ll be building the Raider offense around the running game.
“Kelly will design a smart, creative run game for the Raiders with a complementary play-action package. As flashy as his offenses have been throughout his career, they’ve always been built around the run.
“Kelly is returning to a league that has cycled back toward prioritizing the run game against lighter fronts. In addition to finding a quarterback, the Raiders need to find an upgrade or two for their offensive line and acquire a starting-caliber running back through the draft or free agency to make Kelly’s offense work. Though he doesn’t necessarily need a mobile quarterback to make his offense work, a quarterback who can run would open up his entire playbook.”
The Raiders do not have a high-end running back or a quarterback who can run so they need to make some serious roster improvements if Kelly’s offense is going to work.
