The Las Vegas Raiders released their second first-round pick of the 2020 draft on Monday, less than a week after losing their first.
Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette was waived by the organization after a video was released that showed Arnette wielding multiple guns and issuing death threats, according to a report citing Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock.
The decision to get rid of Arnette was a “very painful decision,” Mayock said.
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“There have been a series of bad decisions over the last year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun, threatening to take a life,” Mayock said. “The content was unacceptable, contrary to our values, and our owner Mark Davis has been very clear and very consistent that this is not how we will conduct ourselves in this community. The bottom line — the Raiders will not tolerate this type of behavior.”
The team executive spoke with Arnette and his father and determined the 25-year-old needed to “clean up” his life before returning to the NFL, Mayock said.
Arnette was the 19th overall pick in the 2020 draft, coming from the Ohio State University, and Mayock said the Raiders were aware of significant concerns regarding the young athlete’s character.
“At the time, we thought it was an acceptable risk. … after doing more homework on Arnette than anybody we’ve done in the years I’ve been here,” he said. “And, obviously, we missed, and that is 100% on me.”
The loss of Arnette comes six days after the Raiders released Henry Ruggs.
Ruggs, 22, was reportedly driving a Chevrolet Corvette around 156 mph Tuesday morning when he struck a Toyota RAV4, killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor and her dog, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Ruggs faces charges of reckless driving and DUI resulting in death, according to court documents.
Arnette is already facing charges from a Las Vegas car crash in October 2020, according to the report.
Living in a 24-hour city such as Las Vegas can be a challenge for young players, Mayock said.
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“Can a country kid live in a big city, or vice-versa? … We do have to be aware of Vegas. But my thing is this — in just about any mid- to big-sized city in the country, if you want to find trouble, you can find it,” he said. “And our job is to find the kids that will get past that.”
