Brandon LaFell hasn't had much sleep since signing with the Oakland Raiders.

Out of a job for more than a month after being let go in a somewhat surprising move by the Cincinnati Bengals Devin Shore Jersey , LaFell has been too busy trying to learn Jon Gruden's complex and wordy offense in hopes of being ready to play in next week's season opener.

"It's a lot going on right now," LaFell said Wednesday. "Right now for me it's just leaving everything from Cincinnati out of my head and trying to refresh things with everything I'm learning now. A lot of the terminology is somewhat the same. I've grasped some of the same concept so far but it's a lot right now."

That LaFell is in Oakland is a little mystifying. He signed a $9 million, two-year extension with the Bengals in 2017 and received a $1.25 million roster bonus in March.

The Raiders didn't seem to have much need for another receiver either after signing free agent Jordy Nelson and trading a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for Martavis Bryant.

It all changed quickly for both sides.

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis was quoted as saying LaFell was feeling the heat in training camp from some of the Bengals' younger receivers. LaFell responded by asking for his release, which the team did on Aug. 2.

Coupled with Oakland's decision to release Bryant during final roster cutdowns, it created an opening on the Raiders for LaFell.

"He's a good player," Gruden said. "He has played multiple roles and played well when he's played. We think he can come in and get ready quickly to make a contribution. He's got size that we like, he's an excellent blocker. He's going to give us some versatility and depth, which we need."

The well-traveled LaFell has a resume that was certainly attractive to the Raiders.

A third-round pick by Carolina in 2010, LaFell caught a career-high 74 passes for 953 yards and seven touchdowns and won a Super Bowl with New England following the 2014 season.

Over the past two years in Cincinnati LaFell caught 116 passes for 1,410 yards and nine touchdowns.

"A smart guy Womens Anze Kopitar Jersey , a guy that's played with Tom Brady when I was in New York," Raiders safety Marcus Gilchrist said. "Crafty guy, big guy, can run for his size and can go up and get the ball. Can play in the slot, can play outside. You need a guy like that."

LaFell arrived in Oakland late and spent his first practice on the scout team. He spent Wednesday's workout backing up Nelson.

"It is crazy right now," LaFell said. "Luckily my receivers coach (Edgar Bennett) said for the first couple of days just learn the X so I'll be the outside receiver and rotating with Jordy whenever he gets tired. Hopefully, these first two weeks I can stay at X and just focus on learning that X spot right now and as the season goes on start moving me around."

Bryant was let go, in part, because of his lack of versatility in Gruden's offense. That doesn't appear to be an issue for LaFell.

"I've always felt like the more spots I knew, the faster I can play and the more time I can stay on the field T.J. Oshie Jersey ," he said "A lot of guys are going to get tired and need to check out or check in here and there so the more spots I know I don't have to leave the game. I can just slide over, slide from outside to inside."

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While the Bengals defense settles in to learn a new system during training camp, linebacker Vontaze Burfict is just passing through town.

He'll miss the start of the season for a third year in a row, this time on a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancers. It's a conundrum for the Bengals , who have remained loyal to Burfict despite his history of misconduct and suspensions.

His absence will be especially noteworthy this year as the Bengals adjust to a new defense under first-year coordinator Teryl Austin.

When camp opens with the first practice on Thursday, they'll be teaching him the system while also preparing everyone else to play without him for the first month.

"Unfortunately, we're probably too experienced at it," coach Marvin Lewis said.

The results so far haven't been all that encouraging.

Burfict was suspended for the first three games in 2016 because of his history of egregious hits during games, including his blow to Antonio Brown's head during the Steelers' first-round playoff victory the previous season. The Bengals lost two of three and finished with a losing record.

Last year, Burfict got another three-game suspension from the league for his egregious hit on Kansas City's Anthony Sherman during a preseason game. Undeterred Authentic Connor Brickley Jersey , the Bengals gave Burfict a three-year contract extension and got off to an 0-3 start and another losing season.

Burfict is one of the most vocal leaders on the defense. He'll practice with the team until the preseason ends and his suspension begins, preventing him from being around the team for a month.

"We're going to miss the heck out of Vontaze," cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said Wednesday.

Coaches liken it to missing an injured player, though it's not an exact comparison. When a player gets hurt, someone else steps into the job full time. In this case, the Bengals have to get the defense on the same page of the new playbook, while also getting it ready to function without one of its leaders for a significant part of the season.

They signed linebacker Preston Brown to a one-year deal in March, bringing in a player from Buffalo who can help them get through that first month without Burfict.

"We have to have the other guys assume the leadership, the communication, everything that way Womens Kyle Palmieri Jersey ," Lewis said. "He's such a dominant personality that we almost have to stifle him in order to do that."

Lewis declined to say whether he would hold Burfict out of the preseason games, as he's done in the past when the linebacker faced a season-opening suspension. Austin plans to give Burfict a lot of practice time.

"I anticipate him practicing like nothing is going on and then when we get toward the end and he has to take a break, then he has to take a break," Austin said.

Burfict will miss the season opener at Indianapolis followed by a Thursday night home game against AFC North rival Baltimore and road games against Carolina and Atlanta. He can return for an Oct. 7 game against Miami at Paul Brown Stadium, which is followed by another home game against the Steelers.

He has a history of getting back to speed quickly after returning from a suspension.

"One thing to his credit: He's been able to come back to playing as though he's been playing football," Lewis said.

"If we say he's going to play 20 snaps, he plays 40. If we say 30 snaps, he plays 50. He won't come out once he's in there, and then all he'll do afterward is tell you guys how he's winded and we made him play too much. But he's the one who won't come off the field."

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