Raiders acquire LB Denzel Perryman from Panthers

The Las Vegas Raiders got help at their banged-up linebacker spot by acquiring Denzel Perryman from the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday in a swap of draft picks.

The Raiders will send a 2022 sixth-round pick to Carolina and get a seventh-rounder that year and Perryman back in the deal that will be official once Perryman passes a physical.

The Raiders needed help at linebacker after losing both starter Nicholas Morrow (foot) and backup Javin White (knee) last week to injuries. Coach Jon Gruden said Wednesday that both players were likely “going to be out for a while” with Morrow's injury more serious.

Darron Lee was placed on IR on Tuesday and Nick Kwiatkoski has also been sidelined. But Kwiatkoski is expected to return to practice next week and be ready for the start of the season along with healthy starter Cory Littleton.

That left the Raiders counting on rookie Divine Deablo and untested Tanner Muse to step in at linebacker so they decided to add Perryman instead. Muse missed all of his rookie season in 2020 on injured reserve.

Perryman has been dealing with his own injury issues this summer and was sent out of Carolina after practicing only once in training camp.

Perryman had been sidelined by a hip flexor injury for all of training camp before returning on Monday. But then a teammate stepped on his foot and he has missed the past two practices. He has been replaced as a starter by Jermaine Carter and now is out despite signing a two-year, $6 million contract in the offseason.

Perryman has a history with new Raiders defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, having spent the past four seasons together with the Chargers.

The Chargers selected Perryman in the second round in 2015 and he was a dependable insider linebacker for them the past six years. He had 349 tackles, 26 tackles for loss and five sacks in 69 career games.

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