Raiders decline fifth-year options for 2019 first-round trio, what does it mean?
Clelin Ferrell, DE, 4th overall
Coming into the 2019 NFL Draft, many scouts had Clelin Ferrell pegged as a late first-rounder or early second-rounder but the Raiders fell in love with his college production and leadership skills. Unfortunately, the production did not translate and leadership skills don’t translate to sacks so the former Clemson star has vastly underperformed relative to his draft slot.
Ferrell has just 8 sacks in 42 career games and was taken almost completely out of the defensive line rotation in 2021, replaced by Yannick Ngakoue and Carl Nassib on the edge opposite Maxx Crosby. He made a few splash plays over his career but has been a massive bust despite his best efforts.
What makes the Ferrell selection even worse is that the Raiders could have drafted a franchise MLB in Devin White who went fifth to Tampa Bay or a much better defensive end in Josh Allen who went seventh to Jacksonville. Allen has 20.5 career sacks in 40 games and even White has 15 sacks despite his position as a middle linebacker.
The Raiders were never going to pick up the option for Ferrell considering he would have been owed $11.5 million which is an absurd number for a rotational defensive lineman. There is a chance that he blows up this season as a pass-rushing defensive tackle or situational rusher when spelling Chandler Jones or Crosby but we can chalk that up as unlikely at best.
It is not Ferrell’s fault that he was taken so high and he has been a good teammate and hard worker by all accounts but some guys are just not meant to be stars in the NFL. His future seems to be becoming a solid rotational defensive lineman that will have a long career in the NFL but it just won’t be for the Raiders. The Silver and Black got better production from Solomon Thomas and Quinton Jefferson who were both on near-minimum deals so expect them to look for a similarly compensated replacement for Ferrell after this season.