The Las Vegas Raiders still have ample cap space to make another move in free agency, and one analyst believes they should use some of that to add another edge rusher.
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the Raiders are the best fit for arguably the best remaining edge rusher, former Miami Dolphins defensive end, Emmanuel Ogbah.
Here’s what Bowen had to say about the fit with Las Vegas:
Maxx Crosby is a blue-chip player, and I see Malcolm Koonce as an ascending talent. That gives the Raiders two productive edge defenders to pair with newly signed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. That said, there’s still room for a rotational pass-rusher, which opens the door for Ogbah. He logged five sacks in Miami last season, and he has totaled 42 over his eight seasons in the league. You can never have too many pass-rushers when you play in the same division as Patrick Mahomes.
While edge rusher does not top the list of the Raiders’ remaining needs, adding Ogbah would still make sense, if for no other reason than you can never have enough help at the position, especially in a division that features Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
The 30-year-old has proven to be an impact player over the course of his career. Ogbah had five sacks in a part-time role last season (25% of snaps in 15 games) and has totaled as many as nine twice during his career. Not to mention, he brings versatility, as he can slide inside if need be, although he does his best work on the edge.
In terms of starters, Las Vegas is set on the edge with Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce, but they could use a reliable rotational player behind those two.
Crosby almost never comes off the field, but Koonce played just 44% of snaps last season and saw no more than 72% in any game. Adding to that, Koonce’s history of success is very limited, with the Buffalo product having just one season as an effective starter.
Ogbah can pick up the slack for the snaps Koonce doesn’t play, and the Raiders can add a bit more pass-rush juice on passing downs by putting Ogbah next to Christian Wilkins, Crosby and Koonce.
The Raiders need a cornerback more than they need an edge rusher, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t consider adding Ogbah, who would further beef up an already impressive line.
