While the Las Vegas Raiders offense should be mostly fine with Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams leading the way, the defense leaves much to be desired at this point of training camp.
Maxx Crosby is by far and away the leader of the defense, but outside of him, the Raiders are lacking the talent to truly compete with the best of the best in the NFL. The secondary leaves much to be desired, and the middle of the field is a question mark as well.
Linebacker is a particular area of need for Las Vegas as they don’t have much outside of Divine Deablo who is expected to take a leap. The Raiders recently signed Darius Harris in order to bolster their depth, but could use more help.
To that end, the Raiders conducted a workout for free agent Jaylon Smith via NFL insider Jordan Schultz:
Sources: Free agent LB Jaylon Smith is working out for the #Raiders right now.
The 2019 Pro Bowler had 88 tackles, 3 TFLs and 1 sack last season for the #Giants. He would reunite with DC Patrick Graham, with whom he spent one season in New York. pic.twitter.com/5fk99Hq7RW
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 2, 2023
Smith is an interesting name for the Raiders considering his draft pedigree and his previous production. Smith’s familiarity with Patrick Graham also lends some optimism that he can play some sort of role on the defense assuming the two sides can come to an agreement.
The veteran is coming off a decent season with the New York Giants, winning the starting middle linebacker role midway through the year and leading the team in defensive snaps. While he still showed he could affect the run game, he struggled mightily in pass coverage as he was frequently targeted by opposing quarterbacks.
At this point of the offseason, there aren’t many players left in the market that can reasonably be expected to produce at a high level though there doesn’t seem much risk for the Raiders to take a longer look at someone like Smith.
Maxx Crosby succinctly reacts to Marcus Peters signing
Like Smith, Marcus Peters worked out for Las Vegas, and though it took some time the two sides were able to come to an agreement on a one-year deal.
Peters still has a positive reputation around the league for his ability as a cornerback, and Maxx Crosby didn’t have to say too many words to express how excited he was when the news of his signing broke.
