Veteran defensive lineman Gerald McCoy spent last season without a team after tearing his quad during training camp with the Cowboys.
McCoy always figured he would return, though he may not have initially envisioned his comeback would be with the Raiders.
But now the six-time Pro Bowler has signed a deal with Las Vegas and is encouraged by the team’s chances in 2021.
“I believe that this team is going to catch a lot of people off guard,” McCoy said during a Tuesday press conference. “And there’s a lot of talent in this locker room.”
Since signing with the Raiders last week, McCoy said he’s spent plenty of time helping the team’s younger players learn how to be a pro.
“Defensively, what I can bring is just my leadership and experience — more than just what I can do on the grass,” McCoy said.
And he may have already had an effect, given the defense’s reported success against the first-team offense on Tuesday. McCoy said he’s tried to give little tips to the players along the D-line, and his teammates have responded positively to it.
McCoy noted he doesn’t have a true timeline for his full-time return to the field. At this point, he’s been doing individual drills but not 11-on-11.
McCoy, 33, has 59.5 career sacks, playing nine of his 10 seasons with Tampa Bay. He last recorded 5.0 sacks with seven tackles for loss and 13 QB hits in 16 games for Carolina in 2019.
If he can replicate that production for Las Vegas, it would be a huge boost to a team that has struggled to rush the passer since Jon Gruden returned as head coach in 2018.
