The Las Vegas Raiders have not been shy about addressing the shortcomings on their roster heading into the offseason.
Although there will continue to be plenty of speculation surrounding the team’s plans under center, head coach Jon Gruden has made it clear that filling the voids on defense will be a top priority in free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.
Gruden wasted no time in kickstarting his recruitment after letting San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman know of his team’s interest during free agency. However, it appears the secondary will not be the only point of emphasis for Las Vegas.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders are reportedly planning to target defensive linemen this offseason starting with New York Giants tackle Dalvin Tomlinson:
However, expect the Raiders to be highly active along the defensive line in free agency and the draft. A name to keep an eye out for is Giants defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
There is no question that both Sherman and Tomlinson would make for intriguing additions for this group led by new coordinator Gus Bradley. Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not their pockets will be deep enough to make a significant splash in free agency.
Tomlinson was part of one of the NFL’s most stout defensive line groups in New York. His skill set as a bonafide run-stuffer would certainly pay some huge dividends for Las Vegas after he finished the 2020 NFL season with 49 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
The Giants will have a difficult time keeping both Tomlinson and fellow defensive lineman Leonard Williams in free agency this year. This has led to speculation that they may be looking to apply the franchise tag to either one of them if they are adamant enough.
Of course, tagging Tomlinson would make more sense considering Williams was already franchised this year. Another season under the tag would carry a salary cap hit of $19.35 million as opposed to the $13.7 million for Tomlinson in the 2021 season.
It will be interesting to see if the Raiders even have a chance to shoot their shot at Tomlinson in the first place.
