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The Las Vegas Raiders have the best roster they’ve had in years but it’s got some holes. If the team was in another division, they’d likely be among the favorites to be one of the two best teams in it. However, the Raiders are in the AFC West, which is the best division in the NFL by a longshot.
The team can’t afford to have any glaring holes. One of the biggest concerns is interior pass rush. Johnathan Hankins and Bilal Nichols have missed most of training camp and no other players have shown that they can consistently push the pocket from the inside. Nichols should help in that department but has never had more than 5.0 sacks in a season. If the Raiders feel like they need more interior pass rushing juice, there’s a notable option still available in free agency.
Ndamukong Suh has been linked to the team for weeks after he mentioned on Twitter that he’d be interested in the Raiders. According to Tashah Reed of The Athletic, Las Vegas does have an interest in Suh but may not want to pay his asking price.
The other big name that’s been tied to the Raiders is defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. There’s interest from the Raiders, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told The Athletic, but the issue is the price. Suh is seeking a contract with an annual value of $9 million per year. While he clearly has plenty of gas left in the tank — he hasn’t missed a regular season game since 2011 and is coming off back-to-back six sack seasons where he also defended the run well — he is 35 years old. It’s fair to question whether he can continue to be someone worth that sort of investment.
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Should Raiders Pay Suh?
Even at 35, Suh makes the Raiders a better team. In each of the last two seasons, the five-time Pro Bowler has 6.0 sacks. That’s better than any of the Raiders’ defensive tackles have done in the last two seasons. Paying $9 million to a 35-year-old isn’t too appealing but the goal is to win now.
Suh would make the Raiders better. They also have $22 million in salary cap space, per Over The Cap. That’s more than enough money to sign Suh and still have the flexibility to make other moves. If the Raiders are going to sign him, they should do it soon so he can get in the system and start learning before the season starts.
Cheaper DT Options Available
Though Suh is coming off a couple of strong seasons, that doesn’t mean he’ll be able to continue that success at 35 in a new system. That could be a reason the Raiders are apprehensive to give him so much money. If they’re looking for a cheaper player, there could be options available. Gerald McCoy was with the team last season but got injured in Week 1. Prior to his injury, he was showing that he could still get to the quarterback.
Darius Philon was also with the Raiders last season but injuries derailed his season. The team brought him in for a workout earlier in the offseason so perhaps he’d be an option down the road.
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