Free agent pass rusher was connected to Raiders last year
One of the more interesting free agents available this offseason will be pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
Yes, you’re familiar with that name. The Las Vegas Raiders were connected to Ngakoue in trade rumors just before the April draft in 2020.
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended up trading Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings, who later, traded Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens. He is now a free agent and you must wonder if the Raiders will try to finally acquire him.
Ngakoue is going to be interesting because he didn’t have a great 2020 season. He had eight sacks split between the Vikings and the Ravens. He didn’t do much after the trade to the Ravens despite them having a strong defense.
Some teams may be worried that he was traded twice in one season.
Ngakoue, 26, is probably a good pass rusher … but not a great pass rusher. However, pass rushers get paid in free agency (hello, Carl Nassib!) and Ngakoue won’t be cheap.
In the end. Ngakoue will likely be overpaid and the Raiders have to be prudent in free agency. They will have money to spend, but probably not like the last two years, so they must spend wisely as they try to improve in 2021.
Still, with pass rusher being Las Vegas’ biggest need, it is very likely they do consider making a run at Ngakoue. Perhaps that marriage will finally happen.
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