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Oakland Raiders: Analyzing the free agency moves so far

By Matthew Lorscheider

Feb 2, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie speaks during the Microsoft future of football press conference at Moscone Center in advance of Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie speaks during the Microsoft future of football press conference at Moscone Center in advance of Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel (16) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel (16) during the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

The Other Bookend

The biggest splash the Raiders made was right out of the gate, with the signing of former Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin. Irvin, the 15th overall pick in 2012, joins former teammate Malcolm Smith and former position coach Ken Norton Jr. and will give the Raiders a true bookend pass rusher opposite Khalil Mack on the Raiders front.

Irvin, like Mack, is a tweener at 6’3″ and 260 pounds, and spent most of his time in Seattle as a pass-rushing Sam linebacker, coming off the edge from a two-point stance. Mack has bounced between this role and a LEO defensive end role (hand in the ground, coming off the weak side), so we may see Mack playing more traditional defensive end this season with Irvin standing up on the other side.

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So what changed the Seahawks defense? Less Barton, or more Irvin?
So what changed the Seahawks defense? Less Barton, or more Irvin? /

12th Man Rising

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  • Chicago Bears: Why the Khalil Mack era could be ending Da Windy City
  • What Bruce Irvin signing says about Khalil Mack status with Chicago Bears Bear Goggles On

    • Irvin is a dangerous and athletic pass-rusher, but in four years in the league has not dominated in the way that Khalil Mack did last season. He has tallied 22 sacks in four years, eight of them coming in his rookie season. He’s also not as good a run defender as Mack. That said, he is a dangerous edge rusher that teams will have to respect, and can do many of the things in the pass rush that Aldon Smith was expected to do for the Raiders before his suspension.

    With Irvin’s singular skill-set, $37M over four years seems like a tad of an overpayment, but it could be worth it for the Raiders if Ken Norton can help him recapture the magic of his rookie season. Even if Irvin doesn’t tally double digit sacks, he can be disruptive, especially if teams focus more on stopping Mack. If teams try to give both of the young edge rushers equal attention, you could see Mack flourish in 2016.

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