As the Klint Kubiak era gets going, the Las Vegas Raiders are equipped to overhaul the roster this offseason. A lot of the focus for notable moves is on the offensive side of the ball, since that is Kubiak's area of expertise, and they were the worst in the league in 2025.
But the defense under new coordinator Rob Leonard needs attention, too. A professed switch to a base 3-4 scheme is an interesting new layer to the conversation, and the Raiders will need some great, versatile talent if they want to make that work.
A search for new pieces on the defense should be wide-ranging, and players with ties to the coaching staff may be explored a little more closely than those who don't have that tie. Plus, upgrades from some players who were in key defensive roles last season shouldn't be that hard to find.
The Chicago Bears could have two usable pieces for Las Vegas, and new defensive line coach Travis Smith may have some valuable insight.
Raiders DL coach Travis Smith could help poke around available Bears
Finding an upgrade from linebacker Devin White should be especially easy, and news from the NFL Combine dropped another option right into the Raiders' lap, as the Chicago Bears have reportedly granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade.
Although Las Vegas wouldn't want to give up draft capital, Edmunds is easy to name as a cap casualty for the Bears, which may be the ultimate outcome. But coming off a solid 2025 season, he should have some level of trade value and a small market for himself.
With that in mind, not one but two different Bears outlets quickly offered the Raiders as a potential landing spot for Edmunds in a trade. The trade proposals are even the same, with Las Vegas sending a 2026 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth-rounder to Chicago.
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That may be too rich, as that is what the Raiders received for Jakobi Meyers. But it seems like the Bears are getting trade calls regarding half of their roster, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz added another, less notable, name to the list: Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter.
Dexter has recorded 11 sacks and 83 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons. But he has not been a stout run defender, with his only respectable Pro Football Focus grade (60.3) in that area over his first three seasons coming in 2024.
Travis Smith spent 10 seasons with the Raiders earlier in his coaching career, and Kubiak just brought him back as his defensive line coach. Before his one season as the defensive run game coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, Smith was the Bears' defensive line coach for three seasons (2022-2024).
How Edmunds and Dexter, particularly Dexter as a 3-technique defensive tackle by trade thus far in his career, would fit into a base 3-4 scheme is debatable. But making room for talent is important, and Smith's input on two available Bears' defenders stands to be valued highly in the Raiders' building.