Silver Minings: Yannick Ngakoue has been best offseason move for Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a pretty busy offseason so far. It’s still too early to say whether or not the offseason was a success, but I’d say they’ve definitely improved their team in certain aspects.

Bleacher Report ranked the best offseason moves from every team so far, and they said that that the Raiders’ best move has been signing free-agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a deal.

Here’s what they had to say about the move:

Getting to the opposing quarterback has been an issue for the Las Vegas Raiders for some time. They produced just 13 sacks in 2018, 32 sacks in 2019 and 21 sacks this past season. Meanwhile, 2019 No. 4 pick Clelin Ferrell has failed to develop into a dominant sack-artist.

Naturally, finding a proven pass-rusher was a free-agency priority—and the Raiders made a smart decision in their pursuit. While several quality pressure players hit the market this offseason, Las Vegas opted for the 25-year-old Yannick Ngakoue. He’s produced at least eight sacks in each of his five pro seasons and was a Pro Bowler in 2017. Ngakoue’s age means he can be a centerpiece for the Raiders. Las Vegas landed him on a reasonable two-year, $26 million contract.

Ngakoue had a solid season last year with the Vikings and Ravens. He had eight sacks, four forced fumbles and 11 QB hits. Las Vegas struggled on defense last season, but adding a solid veteran who is great at getting to the quarterback is a welcoming addition.