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The Las Vegas Raiders have been big spends this offseason. The team spent over $440 million between Hunter Renfrow, Chandler Jones, Maxx Crosby, Derek Carr and Davante Adams. Even with all that spending, they should consider spending a bit more money.
The Raiders are coming off a surprise playoff berth last season and there’s no doubt the roster is in an even better place heading into 2022. The offense should be a top-10 unit in the NFL but there are still some questions on defense. Outside of Jones, Crosby and Denzel Perryman, the team doesn’t have a lot of proven stars on defense. If they are looking for more star power, there are options available.
Brad Stainbrook of 247 Sports recently reported that the Raiders were showing interest in five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. He still remains in free agency and Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes Las Vegas is the best fit for him due to the quarterback talent in the AFC West.
“The Raiders have remodeled the interior of their defensive line this season with the additions of Bilal Nichols and Vernon Butler,” Ballentine wrote.
“However, Suh brings better pass-rush production, which is invaluable as the Raiders prepare to defend against Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson in their division.”
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Why Raiders Make Sense for Suh
Suh is 35 now but he’s coming off a 6.0 sack season, which is solid for a defensive tackle of his age. The former No. 2 overall draft pick by the Detroit Lions has put together a long and successful career. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signing Akiem Hicks, it appears Suh’s time with the team is over. However, his career isn’t over quite yet.
The Raiders present an interesting opportunity for him. The team should be a contender on paper and Las Vegas is an appealing city for Suh. They likely wouldn’t offer him the most money so it depends on what he’s looking for before he decides to retire. Suh’s swagger makes him perfect for the Raiders and he’d look great in the silver and black uniforms.
Raiders Don’t Necessarily Need Suh
The defensive line has been the position group the Raiders have addressed the most heavily this offseason. Outside of Jones and Crosby, there aren’t any big difference-makers on the defensive line, especially on the interior. Suh would provide a pass rushing upgrade from the interior of the defensive line. Considering the Raiders have the toughest slate of quarterbacks in their division to play against, having an interior pass rushing presence would be huge.
With that said, the Raiders don’t necessarily need to sign Suh. The team drafted two defensive tackles with upside in Neil Farrell and Matthew Butler. They also signed Bilal Nichols, who has pass rushing ability. None of them have proven as much as Suh but they are all significantly younger. The Raiders just got a look at their defensive line at the recent mandatory minicamp. If they sign Suh, it would be a sign that they weren’t impressed with what they saw.
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