The Las Vegas Raiders had to be feeling pressure to make a move when they saw the rest of the AFC West load up on stars.
The Denver Broncos finally solved their quarterback problem by trading for Russell Wilson, while the Los Angeles Chargers loaded up on the defensive side of the field by acquiring Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs will return most of their core headlined by Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce.
With so many high-octane offenses to deal with, general manager Dave Ziegler did the right thing and boosted their pass rush by signing Chandler Jones to a three-year deal. With Jones on tow to complement Maxx Crosby, Ziegler dealt away Yannick Ngakoue in exchange for Rock Ya-Sin via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
Sources: #Raiders pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue is expected to be traded to the #Colts in a deal that includes CB Rock Ya-Sin.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2022
Ya-Sin is a solid starting-caliber cornerback for the Raiders, who fared well in pass coverage during the 2021 season. Casey Hayward and Nate Hobbs were sticky in man coverage, but Ya-Sin can hold his own.
New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has not divulged much about how he plans to scheme his defense, but adding Jones and Ya-Sin is surely a positive for him and the team. However, Ya-Sin could have to prove himself in training camp as incumbent Trayvon Mullen showed flashes last season and could give him a run for the starting outside corner spot.
‘
Las Vegas still has work to do if they hope to compete in what is looking like an incredibly competitive AFC West. Jones and Ya-Sin are good starts, but it will be interesting to see what else Ziegler has up his sleeve in the coming days.
