With the signing of Christian Wilkins, the Las Vegas Raiders send a very loud, clear signal to opposing teams.
When Christian Wilkins put pen to paper, the Las Vegas brain trust sent a clear, unmistakable signal to the rest of the NFL. During the Derek Carr Era, the team spent hundreds of millions on the offensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, when the front office did land a defender, it felt more bargain shopping for afterthoughts. As a result, the defense lagged behind and the team played an uneven brand of football. Now, with a decisive head coach, sure of his vision, the Raiders want to hunt down the Kansas City Chiefs and every prolific offense on their schedule.
On the Field/In the Locker Room
Wilkins’ tape shows an energy player, with the burst to knife through a gap. Additionally, he possesses the power to vary his rush set. Moreover, as a three-down lineman, the knack for stopping the run will pay dividends from the first week. Either way, Maxx Crosby should benefit from not having to shoulder the entire pass rush burden. Notwithstanding, the strong locker room presence, which should also ease responsibilities. back to the field, watch the speed and explosive block shedding that results in negative plays for the offense.
Nothing Exotic, Just Pushing Forward
In the NFL, the alleged offensive gurus thrive on overcomplicating the playbook. Granted, while that usually only works for exceptional teams. On the other hand, more often than not, the best course of action is to head straight to the source. For example, Patrick Mahomes is the source. If you place divisional enmity aside, you have to respect what Mahomes accomplished. As a result, some teams, while facing the Chiefs play scared defensively. Remember how the Niners made their defenders sag off the receivers? The Chiefs nickel and dimed San Francisco down the field. In contrast, when the Raiders faced Kansas City, they generated constant pressure, affecting Mahomes all afternoon. Scared money doesn’t make money and Las Vegas must take risks. By turning the pass rush, the Raiders forced the Chiefs into turnovers, uncharacteristic mistakes.
- Ep. 197: Fields to Pittsburgh, Still Available Free Agentsby Full Press Coverage on March 18, 2024 at 8:00 pm
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Malcolm On the Outside
While Maxx Crosby wreaks havoc on one side, the Raiders needed a bookend to balance the line. Malcolm Koonce, starting for the first time, notched eight sacks in eleven starts. More importantly, twenty-three quarterback pressures resonated all season. Now, where does Koonce fit in? In all honesty, he needed to remain the starter on the outside. Nine tackles for loss bolsters his claim of a starting spot. What makes Koonce effective is his approach to the play. By nature, every pass rusher thinks of planting the quarterback into the turf, but good ones will also stop the run. Koonce proved his worth in 2023. Now, the next step will be double-digit sacks and pressures.
Overview
Adding Christian Wilkins gives the Las Vegas Raiders a defensive line foundational piece and opponents another headache. While it’s way too early to project exacts stats, one thing does remain true. The team didn’t need to overpay for a veteran. That signals a profound change where this franchise added money just to lure even the average players. Antonio Pierce changed the immediate culture of the team as an interim coach. Now, he has time to make these changes permanent during his tenure. Spending money helps, but the overwhelming buy-in from players. Instead of a scattershot approach, the Raiders undertook a thoughtful, almost deliberate plan. On top of that, no one truly wins free agency. Instead, they do enough to build, bolstered by a sound draft to change their luck. When evaluating the Raiders on defense, count the number of pressures per game. That should be a clear metric for their success.