Las Vegas Raiders should take a chance on edge rusher Takkarist McKinley

The Las Vegas Raiders should take a chance on newly released defensive end Takk McKinley to try and improve their struggling pass rush

The NFL is a passing league and all of the rules are geared to help quarterbacks stay healthy and offenses score points. The best way to slow that down in this era is to get to the quarterback early and often and the Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to do that on a consistent basis.

One player that might help them do that is defensive end Takk McKinley, who was recently released by the Atlanta Falcons.

McKinley was trying to force his way out of Atlanta via trade this season and according to his Twitter account, the Falcons turned down a second round pick for him in 2019 and a fifth and sixth round pick for him this year. Through sources the Falcons refuted that claim but he is adamant that they turned down multiple offers for him despite the fact that his contract with the team was due to run out at the end of this year.

Regardless of why he was released and whether or not the Falcons turned down offers for him, he is a talented player that has not lived up to his first round selection but can still help the right team. There are of course risks to signing him as well so let’s examine the pros and cons of signing Takk McKinley and why the Raiders should take the plunge regardless of the risks.