It’s been an interesting approach thus far by Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek as another defensive starter leaves for greener pastures.
If you were to ask Raiders fans right now, there are basically two camps. One understands that adequate roster building requires time and patience; the other wants to see money spent, especially if it’s a big name. Right now, the Raiders aren’t doing too much of the latter–quite the opposite, as many key defensive starters are leaving; we can now add Nate Hobbs to that list.
League insider Josina Anderson broke the news earlier on Tuesday. Hobbs signed a four-year contract worth $48 million with Green Bay, which included $16 million in guarantees, all allocated as a signing bonus.
It’s the third major defensive player that the Raiders have lost, the first being linebacker Robert Spillane, who went to the New England Patriots, and the second being safety Tre’von Moehrig, who went to the Carolina Panthers.
Although Hobbs was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round in 2021, he spent his entire four-year career in Las Vegas, where he participated in 51 games and started 38 of them. During his time with the Raiders, he racked up a total of 281 tackles, 19 pass deflections, and three interceptions. Over the course of his stint with the Silver and Black, he saw a steady decline in opponents’ completion percentage against him—marking his evolution as a reliable defender.
With Hobbs leaving along with Tre’von Moehrig, the defensive backfield for Patrick Graham is slim at the moment. However, it’s worth noting that the Raiders might choose to prioritize defense in the first round of the NFL draft. Could they potentially select Will Johnson?
