After Oakland Raiders All-Pro DE/OLB Khalil Mack enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, the team looked for an edge-rusher, not knowing what was going to happen with embattled OLB Aldon Smith. So in free agency, the team picked up former Seattle Seahawks OLB Bruce Irvin.
The way he gets after opposing quarterbacks earned Mack the nickname “Slash.” And now that Irvin is paired up with Mack, they affectionately call them the “Slash Brothers.” Of course, it’s a spin off of Golden State Warriors guards Steph Curry and Clay Thompson, the “Splash Brothers.”
From the moment the pairing was made, Irvin has been unable to contain his excitement about joining Mack on the defensive front, and when asked about the All-Pro, one word comes to mind.
He said, “Beast, man! We watched a lot of Oakland film in Seattle, so I would watch Khalil, and the guy’s on his way to becoming one of the best rushers in the league, if not already.” when talking to Raiders.com.
“I think me being on the other side of him, I’m going to benefit a lot and get one-on-one situations, and I have to win those matchups. He’s just a freak, man. He can play the run. He can rush. He can do all types of stuff, he’s the kind of guy you want to play with.”
He does stand to benefit from playing with Mack as he will be the center of opposing teams blocking schemes. He is at least closing if he hasn’t already closed the gap between himself and Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt for most dominant defensive player in the game today.
His combination of abilities to rush the passer, play the run and cover is unparalleled. So Irvin is correct in using the over used word of beast to describe a good football player. But at the same time, Irvin wants to keep the hype on him so he can sneak in the backdoor and get his sacks.
Irvin is smart!