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While the Las Vegas Raiders do have some big needs on the offensive line, most of the money they have needs to be spent on fixing the defense. New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has had success in the past but needs talent to work with if the team hopes for him to turn the defense around. Luckily, there’s talent on the market and the Raiders have money to spend.
Possibly the team’s biggest need is at safety. Erik Harris and Jeff Heath just aren’t going to cut it going forward. There should be some good options for Las Vegas in free agency this offseason. Sheil Kapadia of The Athletic predicts that the Raiders will sign Minnesota Vikings free agent Anthony Harris:
Assuming that new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will employ his Cover-3 scheme, the Raiders are in desperate need of a free safety who can patrol the deep middle of the field and take away posts and seams. Harris has the range and ball skills to be effective. His nine interceptions over the past three seasons are tied for sixth among safeties, and his 24 passes defended over that span are tied for seventh.
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Harris Coming off Down Year
Harris was the co-leader for interceptions in the NFL back in 2019 with six. It looked as if he was developing into an elite defensive back. However, he fell back to earth in 2020. Despite starting all 16 games for the Vikings, Harris didn’t catch a single interception. It was a steep decline for him.
While his drop in production is concerning, the Vikings defense as a whole had a disappointing season. They usually have a stout defense but fell off in 2020. Harris will have to convince teams that last season was an anomaly. Pro Football Focus has Harris ranked as the seventh-best player available in free agency so the analytics are on his side. The Raiders really need players who can create turnovers. Harris had nine interceptions between 2018 and 2019. In the other four seasons he has played, he has zero. It might not be a homerun signing if Las Vegas picks him up.
Other Safety Targets
Prior to franchise tags getting dished out, the free-agent market for safeties was going to be booming. Justin Simmons, Marcus Williams and Marcus Maye all could’ve been really good targets for the Raiders. Unfortunately, all three of them were franchise tagged by their teams.
That certainly doesn’t help Las Vegas as this will drive the price up for safeties that are still available. The team will likely look at Harris but they have other options. Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson could be a good pickup. He was a key piece for the NFL’s top defense last season. He’s only got eight interceptions in four seasons but he’s a very capable defender. He also shouldn’t cost as much as some of the other top safeties. The Raiders also recently brought in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for a visit. He certainly wouldn’t be a long-term fix but he could man one of the safety spots while the team develops a young player.
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