Raiders add former starting Super Bowl guard ahead of free agency
Raiders add former starting Super Bowl guard ahead of free agency
The Las Vegas Raiders are jumping into free agency early, inking former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Alex Cappa, the team announced on Wednesday.
Cappa, 30, was released by the Bengals on Monday ahead of the final year of a four-year contract that he signed before the 2022 NFL season.
Cappa was brought in as a piece to stabilize the Bengals' offensive line following a Super Bowl LVI loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The Humboldt State alum suffered an injury in Week 18 of the 2022 season and his production slipped from there.
According to ESPN's Next Gen Stats, Cappa ranked 60th out of 62 players in pass block win rate as a guard in 2023. Then, during this recent 2024 season, Cappa ranked last among 64 qualifying players in the same statistic.
Cappa's 2024 offensive grade was a meager 50.5 and his pass blocking grade was 39.7 per Pro Football Focus. The 6-foot-6, 310 pound offensive lineman allowed 51 pressures and eight sacks during the 2024 campaign.
If the Raiders are bringing Cappa in as a buy-low depth piece, then this could be a high reward situation for Las Vegas.
New Raiders general manager John Spytek previously served as Tampa Bay's director of player personnel from 2016-20 before ascending to become the Bucs' assistant general manager each of the past two seasons. Cappa has a Spytek connection as it was the Buccaneers who originally drafted Cappa with the No. 94 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Cappa was the starting right guard for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in 2020 when they went on to become Super Bowl LV champions, defeating Kansas City, 31-9.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Takeaways and observations from the Eagles mandatory minicamp
After weeks of off-season training and on-field preparation, the Philadelphia Eagles held their mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday before the squad takes a five-week break until training camp. The mandatory minicamp was part of Phase 3 of the NFL offseason. During the practice, Philadelphia participated in 7 on 7, 9 on 7, and 11 on 11 drills, with no live contact taking place. Like in OTAs, players cannot wear pads except protective knee and elbow pads, though helmets are permitted. With Tuesday's session complete, we're looking at the takeaways, observations, and analysis from the NovaCare Complex one final time before training camp in July. With no contract disputes or severe injuries, Nick Sirianni confirmed that all 90 players on the Eagles roster were in attendance, giving some insight into the urgency of this season and the leadership in place. Saquon Barkley had a hectic off-season that included playing golf with President Donald Trump and landing the cover of Madden NFL 26. He also referenced potentially retiring like Barry Sanders one day. On Tuesday, Barkley talked about being in the prime of his career, with no worry about retiring anytime soon. It's only minicamp, but Hurts has looked efficient, strong, and, according to ESP, accurate. Gray was a topic of discussion around the NovaCare Complex, and the player we featured in a recent article continues to turn heads at Eagles practice. Gray signed with the Eagles' practice squad in mid-September after failing to make the 49ers' 53-man roster at the end of training camp. He wasn't elevated for a single game during the 2024 campaign, but by signing a future deal, Gray can participate in OTAs, minicamps, and training camps with the Eagles. It wasn't full pads, and no thumping took place, but the Eagles' first-round pick looked athletic and fluid during on-field drills. If a game were played today, Azeez Ojulari would have seen snaps with Nolan Smith out, and Jalyx Hunt would have replaced Brandon Graham on the edge. Sydney Brown is getting first-team reps, along with Cooper DeJean. With Zack Baun getting a rest day, the rookie got first-team snaps alongside Jeremiah Trotter. The Eagles selected Mondon Jr. with the No. 161 pick in the NFL draft. A former two-sport athlete who ran track in high school, Mondon won a pair of national championships and SEC titles during his four-year career with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker battled through injuries during his junior and senior seasons, but remained productive. In 2024, Mondon logged 57 tackles, three sacks, and three pass deflections. He finished the year as Georgia's seventh-leading tackler. Mondon posted 39 tackles and three sacks down the stretch over Georgia's final five games. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles minicamp: Reaction and analysis from final off-season practice
Associated Press
24 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Shedeur Sanders is preaching patience as he settles in as the Browns' 4th-string QB
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders is used to his every move being scrutinized. But one thing he hasn't been accustomed to is not getting all the snaps in practice. In his first couple of months in the NFL, Sanders has had to learn what life is like as a fourth-string quarterback. 'I'm managing it real well,' Sanders said Tuesday after the Cleveland Browns completed their first practice of their mandatory minicamp. 'I would say it's just a mindset, this adjustment. You got to go and understand the situation that you're in and be able to approach that and get the best out of it. You could view things as you're not getting reps in a negative way, or you could view it as, OK, when is my time to get out there? Let's be proactive and let's get going.' Sanders has shown steady progress since he was selected in the fifth round (144th overall) by the Browns and reported for the team's rookie minicamp on May 9. With Joe Flacco's workload reduced on Tuesday, Sanders got his first extensive snaps in full-team drills during practices that were open to the media. On the final snap, Sanders connected with Luke Floriea on a skinny post route while under pressure. One highlight came during a 7-on-7 drill when he threw a deep ball up the right sideline to Gage Larvadin with cornerback Dom Jones in coverage. Another big adjustment for Sanders is trying to get through his progressions quicker so that he avoids sacks. Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two seasons at Colorado, the most by a QB in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and that contributed to his drop in the draft. 'It's definitely going through the progressions and getting comfortable and knowing the ins and outs of everything. So, when you go on the field, I already have a different type of confidence by myself, regardless,' he said, adding that when training camp begins, 'I'll be there.' Coach Kevin Stefanski said going through progressions is a bedrock of offensive efficiency, but mastering that skill can take time. 'Being able to get through a progression is not as easy as it sounds. Your eyes are studying the defenders and seeing what they're doing, and then ultimately, you're listening to your feet,' Stefanski said. 'To quote an old Gary Kubiak line, you have a prescribed drop for a play, and that drop, and those hitches will take you where the ball is supposed to go.' While some Browns fans would love to see him start the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals — or soon thereafter — Sanders said his goal is to become as polished as he can. 'I got time to be able to grow and mature and be able to understand the ins and outs of the defenses and be able to get the good insight from the vets in the room,' he said. 'So, I look at it as a plus. I got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding. And whenever, you know, it's time for me to play, then it's time for me to play. 'But I'm not looking too far in the future about all that. I'm looking about every day in practice because I had some misses out there today that, you know, we got to go in there and correct, reads getting in and out drops a little bit faster from under center. So that's the main thing. I'm focused on the small things, and over time, the big things will happen.' One questions Sanders did not answer was about the health of his father — Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders. The elder Sanders has not attended football camps at Colorado and discussed some health challenges on a recent podcast. ___ AP NFL:
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Micah Parsons will attend Cowboys training camp with or without a contract extension: 'I'll be out there'
Micah Parsons confirmed that he would attend the Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California in August, even if he and the team do not reach a new contractual agreement. The statement comes as the pass rusher attempts to negotiate a new deal in Dallas. On Tuesday, Parsons was present at the Cowboys mandatory minicamp and told media members, 'I'll be out there.' Advertisement Parsons did not clarify if he would be participating in the Oxnard camps despite guaranteeing his presence. He also did not participate in drills on Tuesday despite addressing the press. According to The Athletic's Jon Machota, Parsons mentioned a lengthy meeting with team owner Jerry Jones in which his contract was not discussed. The Cowboys' minicamp runs through Thursday, meaning Parsons may get an answer about his contract over the next 48 hours. Before Tuesday, Parsons made a social media statement that had fans wondering if he was foreshadowing a training camp holdout. 'Even though the contract is not done, I have teammates and a playbook!' Parsons posted on X. 'I'm preparing as if I will be on the field the first week of camp! But it's in the owner's hands. I'm ready to win a Super Bowl." Advertisement Parsons is currently under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract that pays him $24 million in 2025. In his fourth year with America's Team, the 26-year-old tallied 30 solo and 13 assisted tackles with 12 sacks. Unfortunately, after three straight 12-5 seasons, the Cowboys had a tragic 7-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The brutal ending led to the Cowboys firing coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons. The head coach was replaced by Brian Schottenheimer, who assured Parsons his contractual limbo would be sorted. After Parsons called his new coach for a TikTok video, Schottenheimer commended Parsons' attitude over the situation. 'I know this is weird for everybody, but look, you're handling everything the right way, bro,' Schottenheimer told Parsons. 'This thing is going to get worked out.'
