Las Vegas Raiders need to give Safety Earl Thomas a call

The Las Vegas Raiders defense is a work in progress, but it needs some veteran help in the form of Pro Bowler Earl Thomas.

The Las Vegas Raiders left North Carolina victorious after an exciting road win over the surprisingly frisky Carolina Panthers. There were points in the game when the Raiders had a two-score lead, but still needed an epic stop on fourth and inches to close out the game and seal the victory.

Josh Jacobs was the star of the show on offense and Johnathan Abram stood out on defense with a few bone crunching hits and crucial open field tackles. It was a back and forth shootout but there are some causes for concern on the defensive side of the ball.

The Panthers have their fair share of weapons with the best dual-threat running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, two dynamic receivers in Robby Anderson and DJ Moore, and a veteran quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater but the ease that they marched up and down the field should give Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock something to think about this week. Carolina racked up 388 total yards on offense and were it not for a couple off target throws from Bridgewater, could have had quite a bit more.

After restructuring Cory Littleton’s contract the team has some cap room to work with, around $9 million, and it may be time to give a certain Pro Bowl free safety a call.