Raiders linebacker Deablo uses time off for injury to become a bigger, smarter defender

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Divine Deablo

David Becker / Associated Press

Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5) recovers a fumble by the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Las Vegas.

Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo was injured in early November and lost for the season.

Breaking his arm to end what turned out to be a breakthrough second professional campaign was devastating, he says. But, he stresses, it was also an opportunity.

Deablo wouldn’t be able to play the rest of the season for the Raiders, but he didn’t stop working in his quest to become a more complete defender.

Part of the work was on display this week at the team’s minicamp, where Deablo showed off his new, bulkier frame. He’s added about 10 pounds and now “might be a little too heavy” at 234 pounds, he told reporters following Tuesday’s practice.

But after being injured in each of his initial two Raider seasons, the Virginia Tech product spent the winter remaking his body to be more durable. To be the leader of the defense the Raiders anticipate he will be, Deablo needs to be on the field for all 17 games.

“I feel like I needed to do something,” he said. “I feel like I needed to increase weight to keep up with the linemen, but not too much weight so I can also do my part in coverage as well.”

Deablo’s enhancements are more than physical, coach Josh McDaniels said. He spoke about Deablo’s drive in becoming intimate with the Raiders’ defensive formations and strategy.

McDaniels was so impressed that Deablo has been pegged to wear the green dot on his helmet. Each team has one defender on the field with the green dot distinction, where the helmet has an audio device for communication with defensive coaches signaling in the play.

It’s up to Deablo to relay the play to teammates and get them in the right formation. Essentially, he’ll be the quarterback of the defense — a big responsibility.

“Divine knows a lot more,” McDaniels said. “He understands the whole scope of the defense. We’re trying to get him to learn it from that perspective so he can help others. He’s embraced that.”

Deablo in nine games last season displayed his potential to be a dominant defender.

He had 14 tackles and was one of the lone bright spots in a Week 8 shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints, and he registered double digits in tackles in three other games. Against the Arizona Cardinals in the second game of the season, he had a career day with 16 tackles.

McDaniels expects similar results when the season starts in September because of the work Deablo has logged in the offseason. Players will return for full-time practices in July for the start of the Raiders’ fourth season in Las Vegas.

“With knowledge comes confidence in yourself,” McDaniels said.

Deablo is in the position to lead his teammates because he made the most of the injury. Instead of stopping his progression, you can argue sitting and watching helped accelerate it.

“I knew I was going to miss the rest of the season, but I saw it as an opportunity,” he said. “I just studied the game. I worked harder this offseason and stayed here the whole time just in hopes that it will work out on the field.”

That work certainly caught the eye of coaches, who feel like they have their defensive quarterback. And Deablo plans to make the most of the trust.

“(I’m) a little more confident in my job, knowing what to do and everybody else’s job,” he said. “Also that’s something the coaches asked me to do, to just step up and help lead out there on the field.”





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