It’s a pivotal offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders who have several areas to address on the roster after yet another disappointing season that resulted in a missed playoff berth.
Quarterback is the question on everyone’s mind after they parted ways with Derek Carr. With veteran players on the team, the Raiders might look for a more experienced option in free agency or trade, but drafting someone also isn’t out of the question.
Outside of the offense, the defense could also use an infusion of talent and depth after an inconsistent year as a group. However, it looks like Las Vegas has more holes to plug as they will be reportedly losing middle linebacker Denzel Perryman to free agency via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
Linebacker Denzel Perryman plans to hit free agency next week, per source. He did not reach a deal with the #Raiders.
Perryman made the Pro Bowl after the 2021 season and has 237 tackles in two seasons with Las Vegas (14 for a loss in ’22).
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 11, 2023
Perryman has been one of the few constants on the Raiders defense and some thought he would be a no-brainer to receive a new deal from the team considering how productive he has been. However, it looks like the Silver and Black might be looking to either save money or get younger at that position.
The veteran linebacker came over in a trade from the Carolina Panthers prior to the 2021 season and immediately made an impact. In his first season with Las Vegas, Perryman started in 15 games where he racked up 154 total tackles (102 solo), five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and one forced fumble. For his efforts, he was named to the 2021 Pro Bowl roster, his first and only nod so far.
An eight-year veteran, Perryman would be a worthwhile addition to any linebacker room and it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up. Only 30 years old, Perryman still has a couple of good years left in him and he could certainly help a team looking to make a leap into the playoffs.
For the Raiders, though, this only raises more questions as they’ve only got Luke Masterson under contract for next season. While there are a couple of options the team could chase after in free agency, it might make more sense to address their need in the 2023 NFL Draft. Time will tell what direction they go in, but it’s definitely a situation worth monitoring.
