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Henderson, Nevada (AP) —Veteran linebacker KJ Wright has spent the past offseason angry.
“Very, very angry,” Wright said. “I was peaceful, but if it makes sense, I’m angry at the same time.”
Having spent his first off-season as a free agent, he continued to accept the saying “trust the process”, knowing that there was still much to offer to teams eager to invest in reliability and experience. ..
“When you see men going to OTA, it’s not easy to see them going to a training camp,” Wright said. “It’s pretty difficult, especially when I’m doing it in my whole (career). I always said in my words, this is what I’ve been to the good Lord The closest thing to believe, and his peace and comfort have just guided me through this process. “
He signed in the process of his landing in Las Vegas 1 year contract And while the Raiders are preparing for the opening round of the regular season at home in “Monday Night Football” with Baltimore Ravens, they intervene to help a group of smashed linebackers.
Drafted to Seattle in 2011 and spending the first decade of the league as a pillar of Seahawks defense, Super Bowl Champion Wright lost 86 tackles, 10 pass defenses and 11 tackles last season, making him his only goal. I did. Players who reach double digits in these last two categories.
Linebacker Denzel Perryman, after being acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, said last week, “It’s more experience, more about his type of player and the type of player who joined this team. I’m excited. ” “It will be exciting.”
Wright and Perryman not only bring veteran leadership to the unit, but what the Raiders desperately need after injuring starter Nicholas Morrow (feet) and backup Javin White (knees) during the show season. I experienced a relationship with Gus Bradley, the defense coordinator for the first year.
Both played for Bradley, and Perryman played the last four seasons with the Chargers and Wright for the first two years in Seattle.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden said familiarity helps Bradley’s integration into the system, as Perryman can block the central hole and the lights can act as an outer stopper. I want
Wright said the other teams should have taken a “baby step” to get used to the plan, but not to mention Quinton Jefferson of defensive harness, the field with the Raiders at the reunion with Bradley. When I first stepped into, the transition was seamless.
“Now we have a lot of similar words transferred, so we can talk to everyone with the same language, the same signals, and the same communication,” Wright said. Linebacker during his 10-year career. “So connect right away and understand the gaps, calls, and you’ll feel better.”
Wright also said that Gruden introduced him at a team meeting and the players welcomed him with his arms outstretched, so he was comfortable wearing a new jersey and starting a new chapter in a new driving range.
And as his landscape changed, a new uniform number came that he was happy to have. The number he requested after shifting from 50 to 34 and being given 58 for the first time.
Wright wore 34 in high school and college, and that was also the number his father wore, making it even more special.
After winning the Super Bowl XLVIII, Wright’s father told a local news station that his son wouldn’t have been here without you, Dad.
Wright said he felt he was in the best of his career and was ready to influence playoff-level teams and prove he was still in the league. ..
“(I) many were skeptical of me this offseason, I’m still doing that,” Wright added from the Raiders practice facility. “Thank you for being here, but that fiery desire you are talking about is now 100.
“I was in a situation where I felt that my existence influenced my success in order to win.”
Relaxed and smiling Wright has already found a place to live as he has settled in southern Nevada and is preparing for the next version of his career with a team that believes he is ready to take the next step. He added that he has a car.
“This team is hungry,” he said. “There’s really good energy here. Everyone wants to succeed in this building. I love it, it’s a really nice atmosphere. I need to start fasting on Monday. Start early and work Get ready for. “
Note: In a corresponding move that the Raiders signed Wright, the team abandoned linebacker Tanner Muse. Muse was the Raiders’ third round of choice (100th overall) in the 2020 draft.
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