The 2021 season should be an exciting one for the Las Vegas Raiders as they have made several additions on both sides of the football that should make the team more competitive.
While the infusion of talent and experience should help the Raiders next year, the team knows they must be better on defense if they hope to keep pace in shaping up to be a formidable AFC West. Las Vegas had one of the worst defensive units in the league last season, which resulted in Paul Guenther’s firing midseason. New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has a tall task ahead of him, but there is some optimism that he can get Las Vegas back on track.
One of the reasons the Raiders struggled on defense was the secondary, as they were constantly burned on big plays and failed to get stops on passing downs. The team has some talent in that group but needs it to be more consistent if they want to take the next stop.
However, the secondary will take a hit at the beginning of next season as Nevin Lawson was suspended perJerry McDonald of Oakland Tribune.
NFL announces Nevin Lawson suspended first two games of season for PED violation #Raiders
— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) April 2, 2021
Lawson has struggled with his availability in the past. He was suspended for the first game of the 2020 season after an incident in the final game of the 2019 season against the Denver Broncos where he used his helmet in an altercation. He was also suspended four games at the beginning of 2019 for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
It is unfortunate to see Lawson get suspended again as he was slated to be the starting slot corner, but now Bradley will likely lean on second-year defensive back, Amik Robertson. Conversely, the Raiders will also likely draft another corner in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, so they should have options until Lawson is eligible to take the field.
