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The Las Vegas Raiders defense looked stout in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers having held the team to just nine points in the first three quarters. However, the depth was tested and didn’t hold up as the defense allowed 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Defensive end Malcolm Koonce was placed on Injured Reserve before the game with a knee injury and his replacement Tyree Wilson was forced to leave the Chargers game early with a knee injury. The Raiders are suddenly very thin at defensive end and may need to see which players are available.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report believes Las Vegas should take a look at free agent defensive end Rasheem Green and sign him.
“The Raiders suffered a major blow before they even took their first snap in Week 1,” Ballentine wrote in a September 9 column. “They had to send Malcolm Koonce to the injured reserve with a knee injury that guarantees he’ll be out for the first four games but could also be season-ending, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.
“The injury leaves the Raiders a little thin on the edge and will force Tyree Wilson to play more than expected. It also creates a need for the Raiders to sign another edge-rusher. Rasheem Green is a solid run defender who could at least eat up some snaps.”
Background on Rasheem Green
Green spent the offseason with the Jacksonville Jaguars but didn’t make the roster after training camp. He played college ball at USC where he was First-Team All-Pac-12 in 2017.
Green ended up being a third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 and has bounced around the NFL since. His best season came in 2021 when he started 16 games for the Seahawks and notched 6.5 sacks. He’s not much of a pass rush threat as he only has 19.0 sacks in his career.
However, he would provide experience at depth to a defensive line that is starting to get ravaged by injuries. Depending on the severity of Wilson’s knee injury, the Raiders will need to add another defensive end and Green would be a logical player to consider.
Yannick Ngakoue Is Still a Free Agent
If the Raiders want to add a potential impact defensive end, there’s a familiar face who is still available. Yannick Ngakoue hasn’t been signed yet and he’d be a logical fit. He led the Raiders with 10.0 sacks in 2021. He’s had at least 8.0 sacks in every season of his career outside of last year.
A concern with him is that he suffered a broken ankle last season and it remains to be seen how healthy he is. If he gets cleared by doctors, the Raiders would be wise to sign him. At worst, he could be a situational pass rusher who provides depth.
He’s also proven he can be a leader as he was voted to be a team captain during his lone season with the Raiders. He has issues as a run defender but he’s a strong pass rusher, which the team needs after losing Koonce. The team should move soon on Ngakoue as he’s one of the top free agents available and other teams could be keeping an eye on him.
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