Las Vegas signed safety Jonatahn Sutherland while waiving linebacker Brandon Smith, alongside five other signings and releases each.
Sutherland has yet to appear in an NFL game, but he now reunites with the first coach who took a chance on him. He signed with Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks after going undrafted in 2023, and Carroll joined the Raiders this offseason. Sutherland, one of two four-time captains in Penn State history, joined the New York Giants last offseason but was waived for injury concerns.
A native of Ontario, Sutherland started his Penn State career as a safety but switched to linebacker for his senior campaign. He made 11 starts in 58 appearances, playing largely as a special teamer.
Smith, meanwhile, was a fourth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2022. He appeared in 12 games with one start as a rookie, but he’s bounced around practice squads with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Raiders since 2023. He’s appeared in just one game, with the Eagles, since his rookie year.
Smith made 34 appearances over three years as a Nittany Lion, starting the final 21 games of his career. He made 126 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.
