The Las Vegas Raiders paid tribute to defensive end Isaac Rochell on Tuesday. He was fired a few hours later.
Matt, Rochell’s older brother, played football at the Air Force Academy and went on to serve in the military.The Raiders emphasized Rochell’s friendship with his brother with a 2-minute video on the team’s official X account.
Isaac extolled the virtues instilled in his brother during his service in the military. The crew even wrote a comprehensive piece on Isaac and his sibling.
However, just three hours after the Raiders released the touching video, Rochell informed X that the team had decided to release him.
The video was released on the same day as the Raiders’ fourth annual Salute to Service Tailgate. The timing of the post may have been chosen to match with the event as well.
There is no doubt that Las Vegas’ strategy and results have shifted in the last two weeks, with victories against the Giants and the Jets. But there’s no denying that, with a tougher schedule ahead, the Raiders will need to tighten up their ship even more if they want to make a playoff push—and thus, the Raiders rumor mill continues to spin, even despite the team’s recent moves.
And one area that may benefit from some focus is the continuous development of young players under Antonio Pierce, who has spent most of his post-playing career dealing with young players, first as a high-school coach in Long Beach, California, and then as a college coach at Arizona State.
With this in mind, the Bleacher Report staff has identified a perfect prospect for Pierce and the Raiders to bring in and mentor: nose tackle Tommy Togiai, who is now on the Browns practice squad. Togiai, a 24-year-old fourth-round pick in 2021, has the kind of talent that should pique the Raiders’ curiosity.
