4 players the Las Vegas Raiders should not give up on

Raiders DT, Maliek Collins

Saying Maliek Collins had a disappointing 2020 would be a massive understatement. The former Dallas Cowboy came in with some fanfare and was declared the key to the defense but he fell way short of expectations.

After recording 14.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and 40 QB hits in 61 games with the Cowboys, Collins had no sacks, no tackles for loss, and just one QB hit in 12 games for the Raiders. There were times when he looked overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a starter for the Raiders, and despite his supposed knowledge of Rod Marinelli’s defense line schemes, he looked lost as well.

Despite that, the Raiders should bring him back on another cut-price deal if the two sides can agree on a good number. Collins knows his stock has never been lower and has a chance to undo the damage he did to his reputation with a good season in Las Vegas.

The primary difference would be to promote Mo Hurst to the starting role and use Collins as a rotational defensive tackle.

A defensive tackle that can rush the passer is incredibly rare and his numbers in Dallas put him in some elite company.  In a piece from the offseason judging Collins’ contract as a “great value,” we discussed that his numbers put him in the same company as players like Ndamukong Suh and Malik Jackson but he looked nothing like that player in 2020.

Good defensive linemen are hard to find and Collins has a four-year track record in Dallas that suggests he is better than his debut season in Las Vegas suggests. He is also just 25 years old and could still improve as a player if given another chance.