With the NFL free agency tampering period underway, the Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the more active teams putting their more than $56 million in cap space to use.
The main focus has been on the defensive side of the ball as they have agreed to terms with a pair of linebackers in Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski, which fills a big need that they have had for years.
The Raiders have also made a pair of signings on the offensive side of the ball, among others, bringing in Marcus Mariota to be the primary backup to Derek Carr, and then veteran tight end Jason Witten, whose one-year contract will be more for his leadership in the locker room than his play on the field with Darren Waller and Foster Moreau ahead of him on the depth chart.
It appears the signing of former Dallas Cowboys players does not stop at Witten, as the Raiders have reportedly agreed to terms with defensive tackle Maliek Collins, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News:
Cowboys DT Maliek Collins says in text message he has agreed to terms with the Raiders. So, Collins and TE Jason Witten both headed from Dallas to Las Vegas.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 17, 2020
Collins’ contract will be worth $6 million and is almost fully guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
The #Raiders gave DT Maliek Collins a 1-year deal worth $6M with $5.75M fully guaranteed. A really strong prove-it deal. https://t.co/YBlV0blOzj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 22, 2020
Additionally, the Raiders have added to their secondary depth with the signing of safety Jeff Heath:
Cowboys S Jeff Heath has agreed to two-year deal with Raiders, source said. Deal worth up to $8M when including playing-time incentives. Back with Rich Bisaccia. He follows Jason Witten and Maliek Collins to Las Vegas. Lions, Vikings, Bears, Colts, Giants were in on Heath, too.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 17, 2020
The Raiders’ new defensive line coach, Rod Marinelli, was the defensive coordinator with the Cowboys so is obviously very familiar with both players.
Collins is a former third-round pick of the Cowboys in 2016 out of Nebraska. The soon-to-be 25-year-old is coming off his best season, recording 20 total tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits in 16 games. He should help aid the Raiders in defending the run.
It’s no secret that the Raiders can use help over the top as well, and the hope is that Heath will help with that. The 27-year-old made a nice seven-year career for himself in Dallas after going undrafted out of Saginaw Valley State.
In 13 games in 2019, he recorded 63 total tackles and seven passes defensed. Given the value of his contract, he will likely be utilized as a depth piece as opposed to a starter.
