The Raiders have shuffled some pieces of their linebacker group.
They announce the signing of Michael Barrett on Wednesday. Wesley Steiner was waived in a corresponding move.
Barrett was a seventh-round pick of the Panthers last year and the former Michigan Wolverine was traded to the Seahawks for cornerback Michael Jackson in late August. He spent time on Seattle’s practice squad and also had stints on the practice squads in Cleveland and Green Bay during his rookie season. He was active for the Packers in Week 18, but did not play.
Steiner was signed by the Raiders after their rookie minicamp earlier this month.
Geno Smith was reunited with head coach Pete Carroll when he was traded to the Raiders in March, but the quarterback is working with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly for the first time.
Kelly is back in the NFL after spending the last seven seasons at the collegiate level and his previous pro experience saw him run an offense that was heavy on tempo with calls made at the line of scrimmage. Smith’s offenses in Seattle gave him more freedom to make changes based on his reads and he said that “Chip knows that I can see the game” which has helped their work installing this year’s scheme.
“We’ve always had a rapport with one another, which has made the transition smooth,” Smith said, via Ted Nguyen of TheAthletic.com. “And so, learning this offense, I’ve been in three different systems in three years. And so I’ve been able to adjust, and that’s something that I’m good at. I can adjust. And so, just an adjustment period, but the offense is really good. I’m looking forward to it. Won’t give too many details, but we’re looking to be explosive and efficient.”
Kelly’s offenses at UCLA and Ohio State didn’t look the same as the ones he ran in the past, so things will likely continue to evolve as he and Smith work to find what will be most effective for Las Vegas during the 2025 season.
Hall of Famer Charles Woodson has been approved as a limited partner in the Browns ownership group, the franchise announced on Tuesday.
An Ohio native and the state’s “Mr. Football” in 1994, Woodson is the first minority owner added since Jimmy and Dee Haslam became the team’s controlling owners in 2012.
News was first reported of Woodson buying into the Browns last week.
“Charles has left an incredible legacy on the field, forever engraving himself as one of the greatest collegiate and NFL players of all time, but the work he’s continued to do off the field and his entrepreneurial spirit emphasized what a great fit he is for our organization,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement. “As he is an Ohio native, we’re so thrilled to have Charles on board as a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns because he knows how much football means to this community. We know he will be instrumental in helping shape the future of the club through his insight and leadership and we are looking forward to having him as part of our ownership group.”
“Growing up in Fremont, Ohio, it was a dream come true to play in the National Football League. In my wildest childhood dreams, I never considered the opportunity to become a limited partner of an NFL team, let alone the Cleveland Browns in my home state of Ohio. It is among my greatest honors to join the Haslam and Johnson families and the entire Haslam Sports Group to become a limited partner of the Cleveland Browns, one of the NFL’s most storied franchises,” said Woodson. “Over the last year, I’ve enjoyed getting to know the leadership team at the Browns and I’m excited about the opportunity to be a part of the bright future for this team and to help be a resource for the entire organization as well as the NFL. I want to thank Dee and Jimmy Haslam for providing me this amazing opportunity and Derrick Heggans for presenting this rare opportunity to me and facilitating the process.”
With the transaction being approved, Woodsn now owns 0.1 percent of the Browns.
The Raiders liked enough of what they saw from running back Ashton Jeanty to make him the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, but there is one tweak they’d like to see him make.
When Jeanty was at Boise State, he would await snaps standing straight up in the backfield with his hands to his sides in a pose that some likened to Michael Myers in the Halloween movies. During an interview with Kay Adams at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event, Jeanty shared a conversation with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly about trying something different in the NFL.
Kelly wants Jeanty to get low, which he demonstrated while sharing how the exchange played out.
“You know, sometimes you’ve got to go with the flow,” Jeanty said. “What’s crazy is Chip Kelly comes up to me the first day of rookie mini-camp. He was like, ‘Have you ever played basketball?’ Yeah, I’ve played basketball. I can dunk, all that. He was like, ‘Show me how you can guard me?’ He’s holding the ball and then he’s like, ‘That’s exactly why you’ve got to be down in your running back stance.’ He won for now. I’m going to try and persuade him one day. I’ve got to earn my stripes, make some plays first. But I don’t think it’s going to be the end.”
Jeanty’s success in transitioning from college to the NFL will involve more than his stance, but that seems to be where Kelly wants to start.
The Bills signed free agent wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, according to the NFL’s transactions report.
The Raiders recently waived Wilkerson.
Wilkerson, 28, spent the past two seasons with the Raiders before signing a futures contract after last season ended. He appeared in two games in 2023 and three in 2024, seeing action on 87 offensive snaps and 15 on special teams.
Wilkerson made two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown last season.
He spent his first three seasons with the Patriots.
In his career, Wilkerson has six catches for 60 yards and three touchdowns.
