Las Vegas Raiders: 10 free agents that could help the pass rush

OLB Shaquil Barrett

Shaquil Barrett was one of the stories of the 2019 season, as the former Bronco joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 1yr/$4 million deal, and shocked the football world with a 19.5 sack season. Barrett lead the NFL in sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl, while also receiving his first second-team All-Pro nod.

There was talk of him being a one-year wonder, and if the Bucs would lock him down to a long-term deal, but they chose to franchise him and see what he could do with more expectations and more attention from defenses. Barrett followed up his career-year with a solid season, where he recorded eight sacks in roughly the same amount of snaps as in 2019.

It is clear that the former Bronco has the ability to rush the passer when allowed to do so, but his value is still a question mark. He is still just 28 and is in his prime, but teams may be hesitant to pay him what he is looking for if he is indeed looking for $14-17 million per year as is rumored.

The Raiders may not be in a position to pay him that kind of money right now, but if they want to make a concerted effort to improve their pass rush, bringing in a player like Barrett would be a great place to start. It would require some cap wizardry and the movement of other players, but that’s the reality of the NFL for teams that want to make a splash in free agency.