Gaither (96) has played for the Eagles & Panthers in the past, but will be sporting the Silver & Black in #53 on Sunday. Photo: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

I don’t think that it is much of a surprise that Raiders LB Travis Goethel has been added to the IR yet again. Goethel has a history of being injury prone and I believe at this point that we’ve seen the last of Goethel in Silver & Black.

In his place, the Raiders just signed veteran LB Omar Gaither to the 53-man roster. This is the press release that was posted to the team’s official website yesterday:

The Oakland Raiders have signed veteran LB Omar Gaither, the team announced Wednesday. Gaither has played in 77 games with 40 starts over six combined seasons with Philadelphia and Carolina.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Gaither, who will wear No. 53, was in 2012 training camp with Houston and spent the 2011 season with Carolina, where he saw action in 10 games with four starts. He played in 67 games with 36 starts over five seasons with the Eagles, entering the league as Philadelphia’s fifth-round selection (168^th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft out of Tennessee.

Gaither’s career totals include 393 tackles (254 solo), 51 special-teams stops, six sacks, 25 passes defensed, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

To make room on the team’s active roster, the Raiders Wednesday placed LB Travis Goethel on injured reserve (knee).

Could this be the boost the sinking Raiders defense needs in Week 11 against New Orleans?