The Las Vegas Raiders emphasized shoring up their depth the edge this NFL offseason. They made notable additions in free agency with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and the 2021 NFL Draft by taking defensive end Malcolm Koonce in the third round.
Ngakoue and Koonce will be joining a group that is already led by the paring of Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby. Of course, a team can never have too many quality pass rushers at their disposal in this day and age.
There are still some notable players left on the market following the draft, such as former Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram. It appears his status has not gone unnoticed by the Raiders brass.
Las Vegas is reportedly among the teams that have expressed interest in signing Ingram, via NFL Talk:
Melvin Ingram per source has interest from five teams.#Panthers #Raiders #Cowboys #Jets and #Lions #NFL #NFLTalk pic.twitter.com/q0iqczcdlE
— NFL Talk (@alicianfltalk) May 6, 2021
The prospect of adding a pass rusher of Ingram’s caliber would provide yet another major boost to this group. However, it remains to be seen if the team can shore up enough cap space to potentially make a run at him following Ngakoue’s two-year, $26 million deal.
Ingram is coming off a down year after being limited to just seven games due to a knee issue. However, his track record from the previous three seasons shows proven productivity with 21.5 sacks.
Ingram’s injury could actually work in their favor, given the limited amount of cap space they have to work with. He could have a chance to provide a team with plenty of bang for their buck if he talks a discount in free agency.
Ingram already met with another AFC West rival in the Kansas City Chiefs but left without a deal. The Raiders have a few connections to Ingram in defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and newly-added cornerback Casey Hayward. The trio spent four seasons together with the Chargers and could very well be poised for a reunion with a former AFC West rival.
