The Las Vegas Raiders could add depth at two critical positions if the Los Angeles Rams part ways with these two players.
Two glaring areas of need for the Raiders after their 2020 campaign are at right tackle and interior defensive line. At the moment of writing, it’s unclear if Las Vegas will in fact retain Trent Brown for this upcoming season. Brown has a large contract and hasn’t exactly lived up to it after battling injuries, Covid-19, and massive weight gain. As far as the defensive line’s interior, Maliek Collins was a much-hyped free-agent acquisition that backfired last season.
Depending on what the Rams do this offseason, two contributors might warrant a look from the Raiders’ brain trust. Right tackle Rob Havenstein and defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson could be relatively cheap additions that would provide depth at critical positions.
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What can Havenstein and Robinson do for the Raiders?
The most notable Rams cap casualty that would fit nicely in Las Vegas is Havenstein. If Brown’s gone in 2021 and the Raiders opt against drafting a tackle, Havenstein would fill that void. The right tackle has held the starting job in Los Angeles since 2015. Even though he missed significant time in 2019 due to injury, he earned impressive Pro Football Focus impressive grades in 2020.
In particular, Havenstein’s run-blocking grade of 82.1 should warrant serious consideration given how weak the Raiders run game looked last year. The fact the Rams have Bobby Edwards and David Edwards on the roster might make Havenstein an expensive commodity.
Another area the Raiders must address is their defensive line’s interior, given the possibility that Johnathan Hankins might leave. If the Silver and Black don’t want their run defense to suffer, Robinson could help alleviate that concern. Primarily a backup to Aaron Donald, Robinson saw his production take a nosedive in 2020.
However, Robinson shined as a run stuffer, especially in 2018, with the Detroit Lions. That year, he had a 91.3 PFF run-defense grade, accumulating ten pressures and three tackles for a loss. At six-foot-four and 330 pounds, he’d be a good compliment alongside a rookie defensive tackle such as Christian Barmore. Robinson might not be a household name but as long as the Raiders don’t overpay, he could be a solid defensive addition.
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*Top Photo: Associated Press/Rick Scuteri