Former Raiders defensive tackle Treyvon Hester has signed with the Buffalo Bills, according to an announcement from the team. The 6-foot-2, 304-pound veteran spent the 2020 season on the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squads. He never saw the field in a regular-season game.
We’ve signed DT Treyvon Hester to a one-year contract. #BillsMafia
Details: t.co/BRkz8AVx6r
Hester was drafted in the seventh round by the Raiders back in 2017. During his rookie season, he played in 14 games and notched 19 combined tackles with no sacks. He only lasted one season with the Raiders before they moved on. He ended up with the Eagles in 2018 where he got his first NFL sack.
As was the case with the Raiders, Hester only lasted one season in Philadelphia. He moved on to the Washington Football Team in 2019. He played 15 games and got one sack. He’ll now be fighting for a roster spot with the Bills, which is considered one of the top teams in the NFL.
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Raiders Upgraded Defensive Line in Free Agency
Defensive line has been a major trouble area for the Raiders over the last several years. The team has tried to solve the issue with draft picks but that hasn’t worked out very well. This year, Las Vegas decided to switch things up and try to address the position group in free agency.
The biggest addition was former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue. He’s one of the most consistent pass rushers in the NFL and should be a huge upgrade for the Raiders at defensive end. Just landing him upgrades the whole defensive line. The team also added several defensive tackles.
Solomon Thomas was the most interesting signing. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t yet lived up to the hype that comes with being drafted so high. He’s coming off an injury but the Raiders were able to sign him on a cheap deal. He’s a low-risk, high-reward signing for the silver and black.
The team didn’t make many splash signings outside of Ngakoue but there’s no doubt their defensive line looks better today than it did at this time last year.
Jon Gruden Acknowledged Raiders Need to Rush the Passer
Jon Gruden is an offensive coach through and through. He’s paid very little attention to defense throughout his coaching career. That was evident in his first three years back with the Raiders. The team didn’t spend a lot on defense and it showed when teams would score a lot of points on them. This offseason, Gruden cut expenses on offense and invested heavily on defense. He knows the team needs to rush the passer if they hope to win a lot of games.
“The quarterback can’t make a pizza standing back there. You just can’t let him go back there and cook dinner and look around back there and throw the ball. We have to get after the quarterback. So it all starts with Ngakoue,” Gruden said on The Raiders Report. “Getting Yannick in here, a guy we think can be a great pass rusher, we draft a kid named Malcolm Koonce [and we tell him], ‘Just watch Ngakoue — watch what he does. You’ll learn something.’ And I think Solomon Thomas, Quinton Jefferson are going to give us a better inside rush than we have had. And we’ll see. You know Maxx [Crosby] will be there, and I’m expecting more from Cle Ferrell as well.”
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Ex-Raiders Defensive Lineman Signs With Super Bowl Contender