Getty Chicago Bears pass rusher Robert Quinn.
The highly-talked-about Las Vegas Raiders pass rush didn’t have the most exciting debut. Maxx Crosby is coming off an All-Pro season and Chandler Jones is a four-time Pro Bowler but neither could notch a sack against the Los Angeles Chargers. They were able to create a bit of pressure but Justin Herbert proved too difficult to take down.
A large percentage of the Raiders’ defensive spending is tied up in Jones and Crosby so the team needs to get a pass rush going if they hope to win a lot of games in the AFC West. A concern that the team should have is the pass rush depth behind Jones and Crosby. Malcolm Koonce and Clelin Ferrell combined for 3.5 sacks last season and it remains to be seen if either of them can generate a consistent pass rush.
Chicago Bears pass rusher Robert Quinn has been the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason. He’s coming off a year where he had 18.5 sacks. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that Quinn could be a good fit in Las Vegas:
Four squads—Carolina, Cleveland, Dallas and Las Vegas—have more than $10 million in cap room available. Dallas and Las Vegas are the two that make the most sense for Quinn.
The Raiders could look to replace Ferrell with a far more proven option in the pass-rushing rotation. Dallas could bring back Quinn, who played there in 2019, as a complement to DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons.
The Raiders and Cowboys were both playoff teams in 2021, are playoff hopefuls in 2022 and have the financial means to make a run at Quinn.
Bears May Not Want to Trade Quinn
Quinn has been inconsistent throughout his career as he hasn’t had back-to-back seasons with 10+ sacks since 2014. He might be in for a down season after a dominant 2021. The Bears also have no reason to be eager to move on from him. They just pulled off a surprise win over the San Francisco 49ers and could be a feisty team this year.
It doesn’t make much sense to get rid of one of your best defensive players after a strong start to the season. If the Bears go on a skid, then they may look to trade Quinn but they’ll likely hold onto him for how.
The record-breaker.
Robert Quinn checks in at No. 48 on the #NFLTop100 👏
Raiders Don’t Need to Spend Money on More Pass Rushers
Though the Raiders’ pass rush was disappointing to start the season, it’s far from their biggest need. Crosby finished with seven pressures and a 92.9 grade from Pro Football Focus. Jones only had two pressures and a 67.5 grade but he was also tasked with going up against Rashawn Slater, who is proving to be one of the best offensive linemen in the game. Jones and Crosby should have a much better week against a suspect Cardinals offensive line.
If the Raiders are going to spend money, they need to use it on the secondary and/or the offensive line. Cornerback Anthony Averett is going to miss at least four weeks after undergoing thumb surgery while the offensive line gave up 6.0 sacks. Spending money to fortify those position groups is much more important right now.