Raiders Continue To Spend Smartly On Defensive Line
The Las Vegas Raiders Have A Chance Of Having The Best Defensive Line In The NFL
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN the Las Vegas Raiders have re-signed defensive tackle Adam Butler to a one year deal.
Butler was brought back to the team after a good season as a rotational player at the defensive tackle position. He was able to record 28 combined tackles, 5 sacks, and 4 pass deflections, but his presence in the middle was tough enough for opposing teams. Bringing back the 29-year-old adds to a defensive line that could arguably be considered the best in the NFL going into next season.
Butler played for Vanderbilt in college before entering the draft in 2017. Unfortunately, his name was never called during the 7 rounds. After the draft, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots and stayed with the team until he signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. Before joining the Raiders, Butler started 13 games from 2017 to 2021 and was a solid rotational depth player for each team.
In 2022, Butler was able to make a difference for the Raiders even though he didn't start any of the 17 games he played in. With the addition of Christian Wilkins, and another player to be discussed later in this article, the Raiders have a chance to have the best defensive line in the entire NFL. As Raiders fans, we all know how much we've been begging this team to get better upfront on both sides of the ball, especially on defense.
Raiders Re-Sign Defensive Tackle John Jenkins
According to Hondo Carpenter of Sports Illustrated the Raiders have brought back defensive tackle John Jenkins.
Jenkins started all 17 games last year, logging 61 combined tackles, a sack, and 4 passes deflected (which was a career high). Jenkins has found the fountain of youth, having one of his best seasons at the age of 33, and the Raiders rewarded him with a $3.25 million deal. Jenkins will join Christian Wilkins, Adam Butler, Byron Young, and Matthew Butler as they try to be the best defensive tackle group in the NFL.
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Jenkins played his college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted in the third round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2013 NFL draft. He has played for the Saints, Seahawks, Bears, Giants, and Dolphins throughout his career, a veteran journeyman, some would say. Regardless of his age, the Raiders are happy to bring back another guy who stepped up his game once Antonio Pierce was named interim head coach.
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The existing defensive line rotation with Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, Adam Butler, and 2nd-year players Byron Young (3rd Round Draft pick) and Matthew Butler (7th Round Draft Pick) is promising. If this defensive line remains healthy and continues to improve from last year, it has the potential to become one of the league's best. I am optimistic that the defense could finish in the top 10 by the end of the year.
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I also wanted to point out that this is the third player who has re-signed with the team for less than their market value, according to Sportrac. This shows that the players want to stay because this team has a chance to be something special. I hope that feeling stays the same next year when Spillane, Koonce, Hobbs, Deablo, and Epps are all unrestricted free agents. This offseason has been a good one and sometimes a bit nerve-racking, but next year's offseason is going to give Raider Nation heart palpitations.
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