The Las Vegas Raiders have had a very busy offseason, to say the least.
In January the organization hired long-time New England Patriots offensive coordinator and Bill Belichick disciple, Josh McDaniels, to be their new head coach. The Raiders would follow up that splash hire with two monster moves. The first move was the signing of former Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Chandler Jones, who will now line up opposite of NFL quarterback pressures leader Maxx Crosby. Alongside the addition of Jones was a blockbuster trade in March, with the Raiders sending their first and second-round selections in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Green Bay Packers for superstar wideout Davante Adams. Adams, a collegiate teammate of quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State, was a no-brainer addition for the Raiders, giving Carr a much-needed weapon for his arsenal next to Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.
Despite the excitement that has been building since the hiring of Josh McDaniels and the trade for Davante Adams, there are still a few glaring needs the Las Vegas Raiders must address prior to the kickoff of the 2022 season. Among them are holes in the secondary and on the defensive line. Below are two moves the Raiders must make to fill those gaps, and complete their roster heading into what will surely be a wild 2022 season in the new-look AFC West.
1. Sign defensive tackle Akiem Hicks
New Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, which means that the Raiders defensive scheme will be anything but static. The multiple-look or multiple-set defensive scheme calls for many things, with one of the most vital being a run-stuffing interior defensive line. Unfortunately, that area was a pain point for the Raiders in 2021 and an area that needs immediate attention if they want to allow Maxx Crosby and the newly acquired Chandler Jones to continue to do what they do best on the edge.
One of the most prominent interior run stuffers in the NFL is on the open market in Akiem Hicks. At an estimated $5.5 million annually per Spotrac, Hicks would be a bargain for a team looking to gain some ground in the trenches.
Akiem Hicks using the guard to tackle the running back. Totally normal. pic.twitter.com/xO9gUHAPE2
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 20, 2020
Hicks' ability to plug the middle has been shown time and time again over the course of his 10-year career. Sliding Hicks into the 3-technique slot would eat up double teams left and right, allowing for one-on-one pass protection against Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones on the outside. He finished 2021 with 3.5 sacks, 25 tackles (five for loss), nine quarterback hits, and 11 pressures in just nine games. Playing in just nine games last season is probably the biggest concern for the 32-year-old, as he missed eight games due to injury. He also played in just five games in 2019. Should Hicks land in Vegas, the Raiders would instantly catapult themselves into having one of the premier defensive fronts in all of football.
2. Sign Stephon Gilmore, but only if the money is right
One of the more challenging items now that the Raiders have committed $141.25 million to Davante Adams will be navigating their cap space. Derek Carr is up for a new deal, and the Raiders could use some depth to help bolster the back end of the roster.
One big signing that would immediately solidify the Raiders defense would be former New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore would have instant chemistry with new head coach Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The only caveat is at what price would it take to get Gilmore to come to Las Vegas. Gilmore's estimated market value per Spotrac is $14.1M annually, which would likely be more than the Raiders would like to commit at this time.
However, if the enticement of playing for familiar faces and a chance to make a run at a championship becomes important to Gilmore, there is a chance he may take less to do so. The Raiders would certainly love to add him at a friendly rate, given that he has 27 interceptions over his career and is one of the best man-to-man cover corners in all of football.
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