The Las Vegas Raiders are in Year 1 of rebuilding their franchise under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. While many are expecting them to compete as soon as this season, the team still has plenty of holes in their roster.
This is particularly true on the defensive side of the ball, as both the cornerback and linebacker rooms are deemed to be problems for the Raiders. Spytek let Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo and Nate Hobbs walk in free agency, and the team cut Jack Jones as well, so there is a lot of turnover.
While the free agent market has been rather slim for both of these positions this offseason, both Jalen Ramsey and now Jaire Alexander have been hawked as potential cornerback fits for the Silver and Black. A perfect linebacker just presented itself for the Raiders, however, and he is close with one of the team's best players already.
Raiders can sign Germaine Pratt to fix linebacker issues
On Monday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that the Cincinnati Bengals were releasing veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt. He had spent all six of his professional seasons with the Bengals after being drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Pratt played his college football at NC State, where he overlapped with Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for four seasons and punter A.J. Cole for five. While this would be a chance for Las Vegas to reunite these former college teammates, Pratt can also dramatically help the Raiders' linebacker room.
Last season, he was tied for having the tenth-most tackles in the NFL, and he was a team captain in Cincinnati once again. All told, he has 616 career tackles, including 32 for a loss, as well as seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries.
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The Bengals have simply refused to pay their defensive players in recent seasons, and the Raiders can benefit tremendously as a result. The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr., who writes for the Bengals, had choice words for the team's decision to let Pratt go.
"A move that was inevitable six months ago finally happens. What a ridiculous charade that it took this long," Dehner wrote. "Pratt is responsible for one of the most memorable moments in team history and was a centerpiece of great, championship defenses. He deserved better on the way out."
Perhaps there is no better situation for Pratt to fall into than the one in Las Vegas. The team needs another veteran linebacker, and he would be reunited with his college teammates. The Raiders also gave no guaranteed money to either Devin White or Jaylon Smith, so replacing them with Pratt would provide a clear upgrade with no financial burden.
While the team and fan base both want to see growth from young linebackers like Amari Gainer and Tommy Eichenberg, Pratt is just 29 years old and at the top of his game. He could be a pivotal part of the Raiders' linebacker corps for years to come.