The Las Vegas Raiders encountered an issue right before Week 1 kicked off against the Los Angeles Chargers. Malcolm Koonce was placed on IR, meaning he won't play till Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, and then Tyree Wilson got hurt in the game against the Chargers.
So, the Raiders went nearly all game with Maxx Crosby on one side, and then Janarius Robinson and Charles Snowden on the other side. Obviously, the defense still hung in there, but that is not sustainable over the next few weeks. The Raiders needed to make a move, and luckily, they did.
They signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers defensive end K'Lavon Chaisson, who was also a former first-round pick. Now, this move made the fan base raise an eyebrow, and rightfully so -- this is a guy who has been considered to be a bust by many. But, that's just not the case at all.
When head coach Antonio Pierce was asked about the move, he broke down what he sees in a guy who is still so young.
“There's a bunch of talent there," Antonio Pierce said. "I think there's still some untapped talent there as well. He’s 25 years old, and again, listen, we're battling with injuries at that position. Here's a guy that can help us. He's played a lot of football, he's experienced, and he has a little juice in his legs that we need right now.”
The Raiders fan base all called for a big-name guy, and that really doesn't make sense. The fan base really called for old friend Yannick Ngakoue, but that doesn't make sense either. The Raiders don't need a guy who will demand playing time when their two defensive ends come back from injury. They just need a guy that can be another depth piece when those two come back.
And, that's what they get, but also a guy they feel like they can continue to develop, too. And, who knows, maybe they unlock something.
