Las Vegas Raiders: AFC West free agents to ‘steal’

Should the Raiders bring back Shelby Harris?

Could the Raiders feature a homecoming for a former player? As Shelby Harris prepares to enter free agency after an impressive run in Denver, he should be a highly sought-after target. Harris brings a tenacity to the defensive tackle position that at times was lackluster in 2020 for the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Raiders brought in Maliek Collins in 2020 to bring fire to the defensive line, however, through injuries and inefficiencies, the signing created more of a blip on the radar than moving the needle. Harris, who was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, and placed on the practice squad before playing eight games in two seasons with the team, ended up breaking out in Denver.

As a Bronco, Harris accumulated 14.5 sacks and 23 pass deflections since 2017.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said on his initial conference call that building the front line is a top priority this offseason, as Las Vegas had serious deficiencies in stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. It is well known that Harris took some shots at the Raiders in an interview with Alex Perry of the Denver Broncos, as Harris said when asked about the Raiders move to Las Vegas and playing at Allegiant Stadium “I just don’t see them having much of a hometown appeal. I feel like it’s gonna be more of like a tourist thing, like ‘Oh, we’re in Vegas, let’s go to the game.’”

It would be interesting to see if Harris sees Vegas’ hometown appeal as he enters free agency.