The one position group that doesn’t need any additional help for the Las Vegas Raiders is the defensive line. The team has added multiple defensive linemen through the draft and free agency. There’s simply no more room to continue adding them.
However, the Raiders could move things around if they think they can find an upgrade. Ndamukong Suh is a player that Raiders fans have wanted on the team for a long time. His nasty playing style and swagger are reminiscent of players from the team’s glory days in the 1970s and 1980s.
The five-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro defensive lineman just spent three solid seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he won his first Super Bowl ring. Despite having success with the team, he remains a free agent. The Raiders could be one of the teams looking to get Suh to make a change. According to Brad Stainbrook of 24/7 Sports, Las Vegas is in “ongoing” talks with the defensive lineman.
It still remains to be seen if the Raiders’ interest in Suh is true but signing him could make sense for both sides. There’s a famous old photo of Suh as a kid with NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley wearing a Raiders jacket, which has led to speculation that he grew up a fan of the team.
Looking for clues into Ndamukong Suh’s impending free agency. Here he is meeting Charles Barkley as a kid. http://t.co/g9VBjn0C4M
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Raiders Insider Recently Said a Suh Signing Is Unlikely
There’s been a lot of speculation that the Raiders and Suh could have an interest in each other. Stainbrook is the first to report that there could be actual talks happening. While fans would be thrilled with a Suh signing, it’s far from a guarantee that it’s going to happen. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently shut down the rumors. Vic Tafur of The Atheltic also addressed the rumors:
I am not sure where this rumor started. Gruden scoffed at sending Suh a private plane for a free-agent visit in 2018, but Raiders fans still get excited about the possibility because of that childhood picture of Suh wearing a Raiders jacket that always pops up when Suh needs a new job. Suh is 35 now and the price has come down a lot, but the Raiders just signed or drafted 34 defensive linemen this offseason. Never say never but it doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
Tafur and Bonsignore are directly connected to the Raiders but anything is still possible. There will be multiple teams interested in Suh so he could still end up signing outside of Las Vegas.
Buccaneers Appear to Have Moved on From Suh
The possibility of Suh signing with the Raiders took a step in the right direction recently. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buccaneers signed former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks. Schefter speculated that this signing effectively ends Suh’s tenure in Tampa Bay.
With the Buccaneers likely no longer an option, the Raiders should be one of the more appealing teams for Suh. They made the playoffs last season and upgraded their roster with players like Davante Adams and Chandler Jones. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is also a coach that players want to play with. It’s a pairing that could make sense for the right price.
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Raiders Are in ‘Ongoing’ Talks With 5-Time All-Pro Free Agent: Report