New defensive ends arrive
The two defensive ends the Raiders signed in the wake of waiving Bruce Irvin were on the field for practice Wednesday.
Jacquies Smith and Kony Ealy were signed Monday to bolster a Raiders defense that lost nearly half of its NFL-low seven sacks this season by parting with Irvin, who had three.
“They’re interesting,” head coach Jon Gruden said of Smith and Ealy. “They’re both young players that are healthy, that have size, that have some position versatility, that can play on the tight end in first down or third down.”
Smith, 28, totaled 13.5 sacks his first two NFL seasons, in 2014 and 2015 with Tampa Bay, but suffered a knee injury in 2016 and has played in seven games with no sacks since the start of the 2016 season.
Ealy, 26, had a total of 14 sacks in his first three seasons with Carolina and starred in the Super Bowl 50 loss to the Broncos at Levi’s Stadium, where he had three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He played in 15 games last season for the Jets with one sack and nine passes defensed.
“We’ll see where they are this week,” Gruden said. “We can certainly use their help.”
The Raiders still owe Irvin the remainder of his $8 million guaranteed salary this season — about $3.8 million — after he passed through waivers unclaimed to become a free agent.
Wednesday, Irvin wrote on Twitter that he’d agreed to sign with the Falcons. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Atlanta will pay Irvin an additional $1.5 million over the final eight games of the season.
“We wish Bruce the very best,” Gruden said. “He’s a good player, he’s reunited with his old coach (Dan Quinn) and his old system, and we certainly wish him the best.”
On the mend: Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes, a 2017 third-round pick who suffered an ACL injury Dec. 31 and returned to practice in Week 7 before the Colts game, has not been activated from the reserve/ physically unable to perform list but is “doing very well,” Gruden said.
“I don’t know that he’ll be up this week,” Gruden said. “Arizona (on Nov. 18) is a legitimate, I think, target for him.” Gruden said defensive tackle Justin Ellis, who suffered a foot injury Week 1 and is on injured reserve, could return to practice next week. Ellis would then have to practice for two weeks before the Raiders could activate him to play.
Injury report: Left tackle Kolton Miller, who exited last Thursday’s loss to the 49ers in the third quarter after aggravating a knee injury, was limited in practice Wednesday. Miller wore a large brace on his right knee and also had a brace on one elbow . ... Also limited were guard Jon Feliciano (ribs), center Rodney Hudson (ankle), running back Doug Martin (hip), left guard Kelechi Osemele (knee) and cornerback Daryl Worley (shoulder). Matt Kawahara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.