Hali Could Provide Raiders With Insurance, Mentoring

An influx of talent and injuries made it easy for the Kansas City Chiefs to release the second all-time leading sack leader in franchise history. He will not be making almost $10 million a yea,r but Hali can bring his multitude of pass rush skills to a defensive line that is completely void of it outside of Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack. The Raiders need all the pass rush help they can locate.

At 34 years-old, the former All-Pro pass rusher has 89.5 career sacks is someone a man like Jon Gruden would trust as a role player. It also helps that Hali is a former Kansas City Chief and the AFC West has a history or pettiness towards one another.

Free agent signing Tank Carradine is a great option to build on. Mario Edwards Jr is scheme versatile, but a proven pass rusher coming off the bench does not exist. At this stage of his career, he can come in as an interior pass rusher on passing downs. Newly signed linebacker Derrick Johnson playedwith Hali and can provide elite veteran leadership for the front seven.

It’s better to have veteran players with a proven track record than players like Shilique Calhoun. Hali could actually get pressure from anywhere on the defensive line. He came out of Penn State with position versatility as a rush linebacker or down lineman.

With all the defensive backs and offensive lineman that the Raiders signed, some will not make the team. Most likely, it will be the people with the highest salaries. They can find a way to fit Hali in on a veteran’s minimum deal. Age is clearly nothing but a number for Gruden. He wants competent veterans on defense, so Tamba fits in as a backup defensive end. He lost many snaps because he cannot be a proven starter anymore. Hali would be more of a Justin Tuck type veteran than LaMarr Woodley would.