Last offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders signed Christian Wilkins to help give a boost to their interior defensive line. But this summer, they had to cut their losses, releasing Wilkins due to multiple issues that arose, but also leaving a big hole in the interior of their line.
With the Raiders in need of some depth up front, the franchise decided to make a move, dealing cornerback Jakorian Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles for defensive tackle Thomas Booker, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com:
The Eagles and Raiders have spiced up training camp with a trade.
Philadelphia is acquiring cornerback Jakorian Bennett from Las Vegas in exchange for defensive tackle Thomas Booker, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday evening.
Fortifying their defensive line was crucial for the Raiders, given the lack of depth beyond Adam Butler, who, while reliable and a solid piece, is not a game-changer. Booker, a fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2022, appeared in all 17 games last season for the Eagles, finishing the year with 18 tackles and a sack.
What is interesting is the Raiders’ choosing to trade Bennett in the deal, as he was one of the lone returning players in the secondary, which has a lot of questions going into the season. He appeared in 10 games with seven starts for the Raiders last season and finished with 26 tackles and eight passes defensed.
Moving on from him would seem to signify that the Raiders are very optimistic about the ability of rookie Darien Porter to step in and hold his own from day one. With Bennett gone, Porter is set to slot in as a starter alongside free agent signing Eric Stokes, so the Raiders will need him to step up.
The deal is certainly not a massive one in terms of name value, but perhaps Booker can make good on his potential in a new environment with the Raiders while also clearing out space for an opportunity for Porter to step up in the secondary.
Raiders safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. suffers broken leg
The Raiders’ decision to trade away a cornerback is certainly an interesting move, given that the team was already down a player projected to be part of their secondary rotation in Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Johnson suffered a broken fibula in a recent practice, and while he wasn’t expected to be a starter, he was seeing regular time on the first-team defense in certain sets, and his loss will be felt. He is expected to return at some point during the season, however.
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