Over the last few months, the Raiders have signed several “big-name” free agents. That list includes Yannick Ngakue, Kenyan Drake, K.J. Wright and Casey Hayward Jr. While all of these players signed short-term deals, the hope is that they can all fill immediate holes.
But could the Raiders still be in the market for another big-name? If so, what position and who might the team target?
In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, he named one free agent that all 32 teams should sign before the start of the season. For the Raiders, that was former Pro Bowl edge rusher Ezekiel Ansah. Here is what the site had to say about the possible signing:
“While the 32-year-old is coming off a torn biceps and hasn’t had a double-digit-sack season since 2017, he could still have something to offer the Raiders as a reserve. He had 2.5 sacks and 10 quarterback pressures for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 despite playing only 32 percent of their defensive snaps.
Ansah doesn’t project as a starter, as the Raiders have their primary edge-defenders in Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby. However, he would be a valuable and likely inexpensive depth option to help keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks.”
While Ansah is a good name for the Raiders to consider, they seem to be content with the defensive ends on their roster. As of now, they appear to be having a hard time finding snaps for Clelin Ferrell, who they drafted at No. 4 overall. So it doesn’t appear that Ansah would be a great fit right now considering all of their other defensive linemen.
However, if the Raiders were to suffer some injuries at the position, Ansah does become an intriguing name. But with Week 1 so close, look for the Raiders to pass on adding any more big names in free agency until later on in the season.