One of the biggest signings the Las Vegas Raiders made this offseason, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, was bringing in safety Jeremy Chinn. After four seasons in Carolina, Chinn spent last season with the Washington Commanders, where he totaled 117 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five passes defensed.
One of the things that makes Chinn so valuable is his positional versatility as he has played several snaps at safety, inside and outside linebacker and slot corner. And GM John Spytek recently spoke on all that Chinn brings to the Raiders’ secondary, via Ryan McFadden of ESPN:
“He’s like a big nickel,” general manager John Spytek said of the 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety. “You love his size on the edge, his ability to blitz [and] support the run. Then he’s a guy that can still drop and play as part of the deep coverage, too.”
Spytek would continue on about Chinn, noting that he also brings the mental side to the game along with all of his physical tools:
“He’s got such an amazing skill set for a man of his size,” Spytek said. “And you love the intelligence and the instincts that go with it.”
Patrick Graham is in charge of the Raiders’ defense and is employing Chinn in the best positions for him to shine and to help the Raiders win. And much like Spytek, Graham is a big fan of everything Chinn is bringing to this team so far in OTAs:
“Just in terms of his leadership, he’s very sure of himself because he puts in the work,” Graham said. “And he’s been a sponge in terms of learning how we want to do things, and then all the physical attributes, but all 32 teams know about that. The speed, the size, physicality, ability to tackle and nose for the ball. It’s all been positive there.”
Chinn is poised to be one of the leaders of this Raiders defense, particularly in the backend, and so far, everyone is loving what he brings, not only from a physical standpoint, but also mentally and with his intangibles.
Geno Smith wants ‘explosive’ Raiders offense in 2025
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders have a new leader in quarterback Geno Smith, who looks to be a massive upgrade over the team’s prior options. And Smith wants this Raiders offense to be much more explosive this season.
Smith noted that the Raiders want to be efficient, but also explosive and win those one-on-one matchups when they present themselves. The veteran added that with the weapons they have, with the likes of Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders have the means to do just that.
