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Jon Gruden trusts his assistant coaches, and, in the past three offseasons, they have an impact on the Raiders’ free agent pursuit.
So, it makes sense that new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will have the same influence in the offseason as the coach he replaced, Paul Guenther, had. Bradley is bringing four defensive coaches from the Los Angeles Chargers with him to Las Vegas, so it makes sense to think he may bring some players with him in free agency as well even, though there aren’t a lot of logical fits.
Let’s look at some Chargers’ defensive free agents who could appeal to the Raiders this offseason:
Melvin Ingram:
He is probably the player on this list that makes the most sense for the Raiders. He is a veteran pass rusher and the Raiders badly need one. Ingram, who will turn 32 in April, is nearing the end of his career, but, on an affordable contract, this is a decent fit as a rotational player.
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Denzel Perryman:
Unless the Raiders surprisingly walk away from middle linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, there isn’t much room for Perryman unless he came as a true backup.
Nick Vigil:
The Raiders liked Vigil last year in free agency, but they signed Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton. So, like Perryman, Vigil, likely could only come as a true backup.
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Michael Davis:
The Chargers want to keep Davis and the Raiders may not have room for a veteran cornerback, so this, may be a tough fit.
Conclusion:
The problem is there aren’t a lot of natural fits other than Ingram and perhaps some lower-level players. But, don’t be surprised if somebody from the Chargers’ 2020 defense ends up reuniting with Bradley.
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