Las Vegas Raiders seen as dark horse for J.J. Watt
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders were able to manage only 21 sacks as a team this past season, with seven of them coming from star edge rusher, Maxx Crosby. Crosby, a fourth-round pick back in 2019, has really been the only consistent edge rusher for the organization since coming aboard, as they have yet to see that skill set from Clelin Ferrell.
Ferrell was actually picked fourth overall in that same draft, and while he improved tremendously this past season, he is not one that is going to get double-digit sacks at the NFL level, or at least he has not proven that yet. Heading into next season, edge rusher will certainly be a focal point for this Raiders team, especially with a new defensive coordinator coming in.
On Wednesday, a prominent NFL report went on the airways in Pittsburgh to discuss one of the best edge rushers of this generation, former Houston Texans All-Pro J.J. Watt. He spoke to where he thought Watt was headed, and Las Vegas could be a landing spot.
Raiders a dark horse for J.J. Watt
ESPN’s John Clayton, speaking to Andrew Fillipponi of 937 The Fan in Pittsburgh, stated that the fact that Watt’s brother plays for the Steelers does not mean he is headed to the Steel City. In fact, he told Fillipponi that Green Bay, Tennessee, and Buffalo are the three teams in the lead right now, which is not surprising at all.
Watt is from Wisconsin, and has a history with Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, while Buffalo is a team ready to win now as well, something he is looking for. The shock came at the end of the tweet, as Clayton stated Las Vegas is a dark horse.
We wrote last week about the possibility of Watt coming to the Raiders, a move that makes sense on a lot of levels. Jon Gruden loves veteran leadership, and if anyone can get these young edge rushers pointed in the right direction, it is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
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The Raiders are lacking playmakers on all three levels of the defense according to Mike Mayock, and Watt would certainly be a star under the bright lights of Las Vegas. Is he coming to the Raiders? Not likely, but imagine what No. 99 could bring to this young Raiders defense.