During his time with the Seattle Seahawks, linebacker Bruce Irvin played in two Super Bowls. He was part of a defense that has consistently been the best in the NFL over the past few seasons.
So Irvin, who recently completed his first organized team activity (OTA) session with the Raiders, knows what a winning team looks like. And to him, it looks like the Raiders.
“You have a lot of guys who are wiling to listen to the older guys, so that’s the greatest thing about coming to a situation like this,” he told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “… I have to say, it’s a bunch of guys who are hungry. They are ready to take the next step. We know what we have to do. We’ve seen the blueprint to win a Super Bowl. It’s running the ball and playing great defense. I think we are ready to take the next step and really capture the AFC West.”
If the Raiders can do that, they’ll bust through a barrier of disappointment that stretches back more than a decade. The last time Oakland had a winning season was 2002, when the Raiders were 11-5 and reached the Super Bowl.
But under first-year head coach Jack Del Rio in 2015 the Raiders made enormous progress, going from 3-13 in 2014 to 7-9.
This offseason they’ve added high-profile free agents Irvin, cornerback Sean Smith, guard Kelechi Osemele and safety Reggie Nelson while also adding some key pieces in the draft.
Now Irvin believes he can help mesh the young and veteran players, as well as the holdovers and newcomers, into a championship-caliber team.
Raiders
“They didn’t bring me here to be a follower,” Irvin told Gutierrez and other Bay Area reporters. “I’m a very outspoken guy. You guys will learn that about me. I’m coming to be a leader. I’m not stepping on any toes, but if I have something to say, I am going to say it.”
The Raiders also brought in Irvin to give the team another top-flight pass rusher. With Irvin on one side and Khalil Mack on the other, opposing teams should have trouble blocking both.
Said general manager Reggie McKenzie, after signing Irvin from Seattle: “Bruce is not the power player that Khalil Mack can be, but Bruce can do multiple things. Our coaching staff is going to do a great job of putting him in positions to make plays. We’re all looking forward to that.”
