Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders LB Nick Kwiatkoski.
As of June 15, every team in the NFL has wrapped up organized team activities. The next time all the players and coaches will be back on the field together is training camp. With OTAs in the rearview mirror, teams now have a better idea of what their needs are ahead of training camp.
The Pittsburgh Steelers decided they needed to add a linebacker. According to 93.7 The Fan’s Colin Dunlap, the team is signing veteran linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
Kwiatkoski was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so joining the Steelers will be a homecoming. He originally came into the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Chicago Bears. After four years as a part-time starter and depth piece, he joined the Las Vegas Raiders on a three-year, $21 million contract to be a full-time starter. He started all 12 games he played in 2020 but lost his starting job in 2021. The Raiders let him go after the 2021 season and he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He played in 12 games last season and recorded just seven combined tackles. He had a hard time carving out a role on the defense last season. He’ll face an uphill battle trying to make the Steelers roster.
Las Vegas Raiders’ Divine Deablo Talks Injury Last Season
The Raiders have cycled through many linebackers throughout the past decade, but haven’t found many long-term options. The team added Divine Deablo in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft and he earned a starting role in just his second season. He started eight games before an injury knocked him out for the season. Deablo recently had a chance to give some insight into the injury.
“I didn’t think my arm was broken,” Deablo said during his June 6 media availability. “The X-ray came and it turned out to be broken. Of course, I was down, I was sad … I knew I was going to miss the rest of the season, but I saw it as an opportunity.
“I just studied the game; I worked harder and this offseason I stayed here the whole time just in hopes that it will work out on the field.”
Josh McDaniels a Fan of Divine Deablo
Deablo was part of former Raiders general manager Mike Mayock’s last draft class. Despite the fact that he wasn’t one of current general manager Dave Ziegler’s, he has quickly earned the respect of the front office and coaching staff. Head coach Josh McDaniels had high praise for the 24-year-old linebacker.
“I’m really fond of Divine,” McDaniels said during his June 6 media availability. “I think he knows that, and we’ve given them a lot of responsibility. … Divine has grown literally every week since I’ve seen him and known him. He works really hard at the game of football. I think he’s embraced this year as a year that is a growth year for him, not only on the field in terms of what he does on the field, but also how he can impact others.”
The Raiders didn’t make any splashy moves at linebacker this offseason so they are relying heavily on Deablo to take a leap in Year 3. He has been wearing the green dot in practice and leading the defense, which is a sign that the coaching staff trusts him.
