New Raiders LB was pulled to Las Vegas by Carroll: 'He's full of energy'

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Germaine Pratt had suitors when he hit the free agent market in June.

The 29-year-old had a career-high 143 tackles last season with the Bengals, who released him after six years with the franchise.

It's not a surprise Pratt, a 2019 third-round pick, chose to join the Raiders. The team offered him a fresh start, had room under the salary cap and could give him immediate playing time. Pratt should set himself up for a big payday in March if he plays his card right.

The Raiders also had an ace up their sleeve in new coach Pete Carroll, whose track record pulled Pratt to Las Vegas.

"I always looked up to Pete Carroll and his style of play on defense," Pratt said.

Pratt signed with the Raiders just as they were wrapping up their mandatory minicamp in June. That meant his first real experience with his new team came the first day of training camp.

Pratt is loving the energy and passion Carroll has brought thus far. He's feeding off it as he tries to help the Raiders turn their defense around.

"It's just fun," Pratt said. "He's an older guy, but he's just full of energy. To be able to come to work and see a guy that loves what he does, it brings more out of you."

New-look LB room

The Raiders have a new linebacker group this year after veterans Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo left in free agency.

Pratt joins veterans Elandon Roberts and Devin White as the team's primary starters. Veteran Jamal Adams, who is transitioning from safety to linebacker with the Raiders, will be in the mix as well.

It didn't take long for Pratt's new teammates to warm up to him.

"Another communicator, another guy that brings a lot to the defense," Roberts said. "We talk all throughout the day, football and everything. He's a great teammate on the field, but man, you can tell he's a better person off the field, and that's what's enjoyable about him."

The Raiders are planning to use their linebackers in different ways after giving up 25.5 points per game last year, tied for the seventh-most in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is still in place but Carroll is adding his own ideas to the playbook.

The group is already learning how to play together one week into camp.

"We're starting to understand each other, sometimes without saying it and getting familiar with how each other is going to play certain situations and how we want to communicate," Roberts said. "So, it's been a good start. We just got to keep it going, and it starts with communication."

The linebackers are cost-effective unit.

Pratt ($4.76 million), Roberts ($3.01 million) and White ($1.03 million) have a combined cap hit of $8.8 million this season, according to the website Over the Cap. Spillane ($9 million) will cost more on his own after joining the Patriots.

The Raiders are hoping to replace the production they lost at a fraction of the price. They believe Pratt, despite missing their offseason program, can help them do that.

"He's done a great job, been real diligent," Graham said. "Finding extra time to meet, getting his eyes in the playbook and getting used to how we do things. He's been playing with a good defense for a long time, and he's done a lot of roles when he was at (Cincinnati), so he knows football. That's a positive. And I'm just happy to have another weapon out there on the field."

He intercepted quarterback Derek Carr's desperation fourth-down, fourth-quarter pass in the Bengals' home playoff win over his new team on Jan. 15, 2022. Pratt also picked off minority owner Tom Brady the following season when the legendary quarterback was with the Buccaneers.

Pratt, after knocking the Raiders down a little, is looking to pick them back up.

"I just want to create memories here, you know?" Pratt said. "I don't know when the last time they had a playoff here (was), like host a game here. So I want to bring that back here."