The Las Vegas Raiders have taken great strides to improve their defense over the last few years. Last offseason they were able to sign defensive leader and multi-positional threat Lamarcus Joyner and also added some key pieces through the draft. Bringing in Johnathan Abram, Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby were all solid draft picks to add youthful talent to the organization.
This offseason saw Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden take further steps to improve the defense. They finally filled the hole at linebacker with the additions of Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski, but also further improved their defensive line.
Not only did they bring in a new defensive line coach in Rod Marinelli, but even more young talent with the additions of Maliek Collins and Carl Nassib. According to Mayock, Nassib plays very similarly to Ferrell and Crosby so should fit in well, via Kyle Martin of Raiders.com:
“Carl Nassib plays just like [Clelin] Ferrell and [Maxx] Crosby,” Mayock added. “He’s 6’6”, 275 pounds, we’ll get off the bus with three long, powerful, tough defensive ends, and he’ll fit right in.”
Between Nassib, Ferrell and Crosby, the Raiders defensive line has a lot of power off the jump. All three guys should be able to get out ahead of the opposing offensive lineman and put some real pressure on any quarterback, which the team has lacked in recent years.
Nassib spent the last two years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending the first two years of his career with the Cleveland Browns. In 29 games and just 17 starts with the Buccaneers, Nassib was able to put up 12.5 sacks, 46 solo tackles and 25 quarterback hits.
Mayock stated that one of the main things he is excited about with this group of defensive lineman is their age. All four have joined the team being 26 years or younger.
The Raiders made quick work to fill out their roster with valuable pieces during free agency. Although the defense has had some great additions, Mayock and Gruden’s work is not quite done. The NFL Draft is right around the corner and the team clearly could use some help at both cornerback and wide receiver. After a great draft last season, who knows what the Raiders will accomplish this year.
