The Oakland Raiders went into the offseason with only one defensive end, but they added to the group with the addition of Josh Mauro.
Entering free agency, it was no secret that the Oakland Raiders had a plethora of holes. You could say that outside of quarterback Derek Carr and center Rodney Hudson, that they needed upgrades at every position.
Or at least an increase in the quality of depth at most positions. Pass rush was nonexistent for the Raiders last season. They ranked dead last when it came to sacking (13) the quarterback. It makes sense considering they were relying on rookies to generate all the pressure on the defensive line.
Well after this most recent free agent signing, the defensive line is no longer rookies. The Raiders signed defensive end Josh Mauro to exponentially increase their sack total. Okay not exponentially, but at least Arden Key isn’t the lone defensive end on the roster.
Contract details
According to Over the Cap, Josh Mauro signed a one year, $1.4 million contract with the Raiders. Mauro receives a $400,000 guarantee.
National reaction
#Raiders officially announce the signing of DE Josh Mauro. He played for the #Giants last season and totaled 28 tackles and one sack. He played at Stanford. The team also re-signed LB Jason Cabinda and signed G Chaz Green.
— Anthony Galaviz (@agalaviz_TheBee) March 15, 2019
Josh Mauro only has three sacks in five years, that's true. He may not give the Raiders a pass-rushing threat, but he's a darn good run player. Can play all over the line.
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) March 15, 2019
Goes without saying Raiders still need tons of help off the edge.
Raiders can hold a practice now. They're expected to sign ex-Giants DE Josh Mauro, source said. He would join Arden Key as the second defensive end under contract, although Mauro can play DT, too. Was in Arizona with Raiders D-line coach Brentson Buckner.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 15, 2019
Grade
There isn’t much to get hyped about with the addition of Josh Mauro. The Raiders had to sign a defensive end regardless of who it was. Mauro is mainly for depth, but he could be a contributor. He played under current defensive line coach Brentson Buckner when he was an Arizona Cardinal.
The familiarity will help a bit with the group, but Mauro himself might even be able to produce here and there. According to Pro Football Focus, Josh Mauro’s 9.3% run stop percentage ranked 15th among 96 interior defenders that played 150+ run defense snaps in 2018. While he’s not someone to get excited about nor is he an answer, he still can contribute. It’ll be interesting to see if he truly is depth at the position or just someone to temporarily fill a roster spot.