After signing star pass rusher Maxx Crosby to a contract extension, the Las Vegas Raiders are making big moves to change his supporting cast on the defensive line.
After releasing Carl Nassib and signing Chicago Bears defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, the Raiders are making a huge move. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are signing Chandler Jones. They are also trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts to open up a spot on the defense for the star veteran. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the deal is worth $51 million over three years.
The #Raiders are giving pass-rusher Chandler Jones a 3-year deal worth roughly $51M, source said. As of now, that’s top of the pass-rush market in free agency…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2022
With Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson in the AFC West, the Raiders will need all the pass-rushing they can get. In Jones, they get one of the best in recent memory. The four-time Pro Bowler spent last season recording 12 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 15 games for the Arizona Cardinals. He also forced six fumbles, more than all but three players in the NFL. As a second fiddle to Crosby, they should give quarterbacks nightmares.
Despite a monster season from Crobsy, Las Vegas was not very good at pressuring quarterbacks. They force pressure less often than most teams, which they can't afford to do again if they want to return to the playoffs. Locking up Pro Bowl linebacker Denzel Perryman will be another key move to make to ensure the Raiders defense sees improvement.
The Raiders shook up their front office and coaching staff after a surprisingly successful 10-7 season. Now that they find themselves in the most stacked division in football, the addition of Jones is huge.
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