Heading into the offseason, Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden will have to do something to improve the defense. In fact, they must use a combination of free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft to the best of their capabilities, as they cannot afford to put a product on the field the way they did last season.
Despite the offense putting up more than enough points to win games, the defense could not keep the opposition out of the end zone, and that played a huge role in the team winning only two of their last seven games. That meant another year outside of the playoffs, something this fan base is getting very tired of.
During the 2020 campaign, the Raiders took a chance on David Irving, a player who was suspended by the league multiple times, and actually ended up retiring. Once reinstated by the league, he bounced around from the Raiders’ active roster to the practice squad, showing flashes of the player who was once considered a top young defensive tackle prospect.
On Thursday, Las Vegas brought him back, and it was certainly a smart move.
Irving fits what Raiders DC Gus Bradley likes to do
When it comes to his skill set, Irving is the kind of defensive tackle that Bradley loves, as he is long, and he also is a solid pass rusher per our own BD Williams. Williams did a nice job of breaking down Irving’s tape back in October when the team brought him in, and now that he is comfortable with the Raiders organization, this move is a very low-risk, high-reward type transaction.
This is going to be a very interesting offseason, as the Raiders have issues to fix on both sides of the ball, including the defensive line. Irving will go well with guys like Maurice Hurst, Maxx Crosby, and Clelin Ferrell, and the hope is that they can get Johnathan Hankins to return for another go-around in the Silver and Black.
Irving will likely play a depth role as he did last season, and he should improve under Bradley and a new Raiders scheme on defense. As the roster begins to take shape, not every move is going to be worthy of a headline, but this one makes sense and will prove to be a smart one when all is said and done.