The Las Vegas Raiders are doing their best to keep up with the rest of the AFC West with the Chandler Jones move. What needs to be next for them?
The Las Vegas Raiders are doing everything they can to keep up with the rest of the teams in their division.
The arms race in the AFC West is getting out of control in 2022.
Patrick Mahomes’ arrival in 2017 was, at the time, almost no different than Jordan Love’s arrival with the Green Bay Packers in 2020. There were a number of people at the time Mahomes was drafted that counted him out simply for playing his college ball at Texas Tech. He was considered a project that needed time to sit and learn in the NFL, and that’s what he did.
Mahomes sat for almost his entire rookie season behind Alex Smith before becoming the NFL MVP in his second year. By his third season, the Chiefs were Super Bowl champions and Mahomes was the MVP on the game’s biggest stage.
The rapid ascent of Mahomes has forced every other team in the AFC West to make drastic changes.
The Chargers lucked out with Justin Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft and are now making substantial moves to surround him with a title-worthy roster, bringing in Khalil Mack and JC Jackson in the 2022 offseason already.
The Broncos traded for Russell Wilson, taking them from last place in the division to legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
All the while, the Raiders had been pretty silent. At least, until the first day of the new league year.
On the first day of the new league year, the Raiders made a couple of huge splashes. First, they signed free agent pass rusher Chandler Jones to a three-year deal, landing arguably the best free agent available in the 2022 offseason.
They then sent the well-traveled Yannick Ngakoue packing to Indianapolis in a straight-up player-for-player trade for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
While Ya-Sin is a worthwhile dart throw for the Raiders, that move doesn’t signify the end of their aggressiveness, in my opinion. More moves must be made. There were rumors they were interested in James White, so running back help could be on the way. They still need additional help in the defensive backfield and the recent release of Nick Kwiatkoski means the Raiders could be back on the linebacker market as well.
Who is coming next for Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels? Let’s take a look at three moves they need to make post-Chandler Jones.
Las Vegas Raiders move no. 1: Sign WR Julio Jones
At this point, the Las Vegas Raiders have to do something at the wide receiver position.
Darren Waller is effectively the team’s WR1 at this point with Hunter Renfrow emerging as a high-volume target out of the slot.
Bryan Edwards is a playmaker for the Raiders to continually invest in, and the team just signed the big-bodied Mack Hollins in free agency to a one-year deal.
Adding a player like Julio Jones would have moved the needle a bit more maybe three years ago, but he would still be a worthwhile addition for Las Vegas even now after a failed season in Tennessee with the Titans.
Jones has only played in 19 games over the last two seasons but he could be a tremendous veteran to bring in to help Bryan Edwards develop and he would be a very worthwhile risk for the Raiders in free agency in the event he can stay healthy for the majority of the 2022 season.
He still averaged 14 yards per reception in 2021 with the Titans but the Tennessee offense struggled to throw the ball in general last year. They wound up as one of the 10 worst teams in passing yardage last season and I have no doubt that with a larger target share, Julio Jones can still be a very effective player late into his career.
If the Raiders are looking to make a big splash at WR still, they need to go for someone like Allen Robinson. Adding a big name like Julio Jones, however, would be good for the young players on the roster and good for Derek Carr as well.
Las Vegas Raiders move no. 2: Sign Marcus Cannon to start at RT
The Las Vegas Raiders need to make some kind of move at the right tackle position.
After trading Trenton Brown to the Patriots last offseason, the Raiders rolled with Brandon Parker for the majority of the season at the right tackle position.
2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood appears to best suited at the guard position for the foreseeable future and Parker is a free agent.
While the Raiders could bring Parker back, Marcus Cannon is a guy that has experience with new GM Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels from their time together with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots traded Cannon to the Texans last year where he had familiarity with GM Nick Caserio, and after playing just a handful of games before undergoing season-ending surgery, the Texans made Marcus Cannon a cap casualty.
Even at the age of 33, he’s still capable of being a starting right tackle in the NFL and would be an obvious scheme fit for the Raiders.
Making a move like this would also not prevent the Raiders from making another move in the NFL Draft at the right tackle position and would allow them to move Cannon to an interior position if they get the right guy in the Draft as well.
This move wouldn’t make huge headlines, but it would be a solid move for Ziegler and McDaniels to fortify the offensive line with all the pass rushers in the division coming at Derek Carr.
Las Vegas Raiders move no. 3: Sign LB Joe Schobert
The Las Vegas Raiders moved on from Nick Kwiatkoski. They also have moved on from former big-money free agent Cory Littleton.
Those were two moves this team made very recently at the linebacker position that were supposed to be game-changers for the Las Vegas defense, and unfortunately, neither worked out.
New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham comes over from the New York Giants who seemingly had an annual issue at the linebacker position. He inherits a unit with a promising young player in Divine Deablo who looks like a good foundation to build on.
Beyond Deablo, the Raiders may need two new starters at the position.
One player who was rumored to be interested in signing with the New York Giants in 2020 free agency when Patrick Graham was their defensive coordinator was Joe Schobert.
Schobert wound up signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as many free agents seem to do these days, before getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Schobert looked like he was emerging as a consistent star at the linebacker position but has now become a bit of a journeyman.
This will be Schobert’s fourth team in as many years, but he’s got the chance to be a really good fit in the middle of Patrick Graham’s defense.
His pass rush abilities from the middle linebacker position were under-utilized last year with the Steelers and that’s an aspect of his game that could be unlocked again in Las Vegas.