Raiders Urged to Trade for 115-Tackle Linebacker

The major phases of free agency may be over, but there is no time for complacency in the NFL. Front offices will continue to add and subtract from their rosters in hopes of fielding the best possible team for the upcoming season.

The next few weeks tend to be especially busy because of the salary cap implications of post-June 1 cuts and trades.

With that in mind, one NFL analyst believes now is the time for the Las Vegas Raiders to address a few of their biggest needs. That includes linebacker, where they are thin behind newly added starters Elandon Roberts and Devin White.

To fortify their depth, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton is urging the team to trade for New England Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai.

Jahlani Tavai Sidelined with Injury in OTAs

Morton notes the Raiders already tried to acquire Tavai’s teammate, Christian Elliss, but were rebuffed when New England matched their offer sheet.

Tavai, 28, led the Patriots with 115 tackles (58 solo) last season but may face significantly more competition for playing time following the additions of Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens in free agency.

Tavai was surprisingly mentioned as a cut candidate by the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, and that was before he hurt his calf during Monday’s OTA practice.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Tavai is expected to be sidelined until training camp.

Tavai, who has primarily lined up on the inside this spring, is regarded as a better run defender than pass defender. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Tavai 97th out of 189 linebackers against the run, compared to 156th against the pass.

In theory, it makes sense for the Raiders, with ample salary cap space, to target more experience at linebacker.

Raiders Still Have an Obvious Need at Linebacker

The Raiders bypassed addressing linebacker during the early rounds of April’s draft, waiting until pick No. 222 to select Minnesota’s Cody Lindenberg. Roberts and White, who were signed to one-year deals in March, remain the team’s biggest additions after losing Spillane (Patriots) and Divine Deablo (Falcons) in free agency.

Despite a change in head coaches, with Pete Carroll replacing Antonio Pierce, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham returns. The Raiders ranked 15th in total defense last season, allowing an average of 333.1 yards per game.

While Roberts and White are expected to help fortify that side of the ball, both are on cost-effective one-year deals and come with question marks.

Prior to last season, Tavai signed a three-year, $16 million extension with New England.