Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie came to Oakland from Green Bay and he reached back to his old stomping grounds for a cornerback on Wednesday.
The team announced that they have signed cornerback Brandian Ross to their active roster. Ross broke camp as a member of the Packers’ 53-man roster, but wound up heading to the practice squad after linebacker Erik Walden returned from suspension. Ross spent the 2011 season on Green Bay’s practice squad, which means McKenzie’s likely familiar with what he can bring to the secondary.
Just having a healthy body would be enough. Ron Bartell and Shawntae Spencer are both injured, leaving the team very short on the corners ahead of a date with Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace in Week Three. Ross, who wasn’t drafted coming out of Youngstown State, will fill the roster spot vacated when the team dropped long snapper Nick Guess.
The Raiders also added another defensive back to the practice squad on Wednesday. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, a former Cowboy and Jaguar, is joining the team in case they find further need for secondary help in the near future.