Defensive line is one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest strengths. Yet, like any other position, they’ll require depth and knowing general manager Mike Mayock, he’ll get reinforcements.
Possible free agent DT reinforcements Raiders should consider
Free agency is quickly approaching, and it will provide some interesting prospects, in particular defensive tackles. These athletes could serve well alongside standouts Clelin Ferrell and Maurice Hurst Jr. Let’s not forget new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli would maximize any of the following players as well.
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Let’s take a look Raider Nation.
Michael Brockers
Brockers would provide quality depth while also potentially boosting the Raiders pass rush. He wouldn’t come cheap but it would be a wise investment. A potential front four featuring Brockers, Hurst, Ferrell, and Maxx Crosby would be downright scary. Would he be a tad pricey? Probably, but then again, you can’t put a price on sacks, which Brockers had four of last year. Pro Football Focus gave him a 74.6 rating for the 2019 season. Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic pointed out he plays the run well, something that can always be beneficial.
“Brockers’ 53 tackles against the run last season were tied for 10th among defensive linemen.”
Gerald McCoy
The former third overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft still has some juice left. Perhaps the Raiders should milk the last of what the 31-year-old has. McCoy played on a one-year deal with the Panthers last year and had a signing bonus of $4 million per Spotrac. Would it be smart for the Raiders to offer something similar? Realistically, McCoy can still be a starter and could prove to be a locker room leader, which would bode well for the defensive line youngsters. Kapadia highlighted that McCoy had five sacks and 13 quarterback hits coming off 16 starts. There’s no reason to think Marinelli can’t use this talent infusion. His Pro Football Focus rating of 72.0 shows his age hasn’t caught up to him yet, and with so much young talent around him, it would certainly help him stay rather healthy.
“McCoy’s best days are behind him, but he can still contribute as a starting 4-3 DT and would be a nice locker-room addition for teams ready to compete for a title. McCoy started all 16 games last season and had five sacks to go along with 13 QB hits.”
Derek Wolfe
What a sight it would be to see Wolfe lineup against the Broncos and have him sack Drew Lock. The Raiders could reinforce their defensive line while weakening Denver’s interior pass rush. It’s worth noting that Wolfe had a career high in sacks last year with seven, only Crosby (10) and Benson Mayowa (7) had more than him on the current Raiders roster. Kapadia mentions that Wolfe “produced a sack or QB hit on 7.5% of his pass-rush opportunities last season.” Under Marinelli, this could potentially result in even better results knowing how the coach squeezes his players’ talents.
The Raiders will have the financial flexibility to spend on quality depth and they’ll find it will be fruitful to give coach Marinelli as many quality weapons to sharpen as reasonably possible.
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