The LA Chargers are dealing with significant depth issues on the interior defensive line as Otito Ogbonnia and Christian Covington joined Austin Johnson on the injury report after Week 10's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The team also parted ways with former first-round pick Jerry Tillery, who has been nothing but disappointing since joining the team. On Monday, Tillery found out where he would next be calling home as he was claimed by perhaps the funniest possible team to claim him: the Las Vegas Raiders.
The #Raiders have claimed former #Chargers first-round pick DL Jerry Tillery, source said. Some more defensive help on the way, as Tillery stays in the division. pic.twitter.com/tseNwl7OG8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 14, 2022
While some Chargers fans may have regret over the Tillery move simply because of the influx of new injuries, the fact remains that he was a negative presence on the Chargers' defensive line his entire career. That didn't change the Raiders' minds, as they are taking a flier on the former first-round pick.
This Jerry Tillery move proves that the Chargers are miles ahead of the Raiders.
If the records this season were not enough (let's not forget that the Raiders are 2-7 and lost to the Chargers in Week 1), this is the icing on the cake that the Bolts are miles ahead of their AFC West foes. Even with all of the injuries that the Chargers have suffered this season, they are in a better spot than Vegas is.
The funny part about this is that Raiders fans and pundits are spinning this as a positive. That perhaps they will be able to unlock something in Jerry Tillery that the Chargers were unable to unlock in the four years coaching him.
Raiders fans should listen to Chargers fans when we say that Tillery is going to be nothing but a disappointment. We tried telling y'all that Chandler Jones wasn't going to work out also and you called us biased. Look what happened. Take our word when we say that Tillery is not going to make anything better and could make it worse.
He simply is not good enough as a pass rusher to negate the horrible reps that he has in the run game. If the Raiders intend to play Tillery against the Chargers in a few weeks then the Bolts should just pound the running game right at him until they are forced to take him out.
We have seen far too many big runs directed at Tillery when he was in the powder blue. It is time to get back some of those rushing yards now that he is donning the silver and black on a 2-7 football team that has no chance of making the playoffs.
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Signing former Chargers may have worked in the past with Casey Hayward and Denzel Perryman. We will give the Raiders that much. However, just like when Tyrell Williams came to the Raiders and was a dud, Tillery is going to disappoint Raiders fans who think that they got one over on the Chargers.