There is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen with Las Vegas Raiders star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.
Will the Raiders trade the four-time Pro Bowler and look for other pass-rushers to fill the void if Crosby were to leave? It would be surprising if the Raiders do trade Crosby after the recent hiring of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. Even Crosby was at the news conference when the team introduced the new regime.
Regardless of what happens with Crosby, the Raiders should be looking at free agency to add pieces. Here are the three free agents the Raiders should take a look at minus their own free-agent DE.
Azeez Ojulari I New York Giants
Just 24 years old, there is upside after he recorded 5.5 sacks. The Raiders could look at older pass-rushers who made a mark in the NFL last season. Ojulari will fit the perfect player who has shown that he can get after quarterbacks. In his rookie season in 2021, Ojulari finished with a career-high eight sacks. Other teams will go after Ojulari and the Raiders should be one of the teams to consider signing him.
The Raiders have plenty of options to go with at edge-rusher with at least a couple in-house unrestricted free agents, but that doesn't mean the Raiders can add another player to the mix.
Haason Reddick I New York Jets
Reddick got a late start to the season because of a contract dispute, but when that got taken care of, he finished the season playing 10 games and one sack. That's still low for his standards where he posted double-digits sacks from 2020-2023. A new deal would reenergize Reddick into being back to one of the fiercest edge-rushers in the NFL. A combo tandem with Crosby would be hard to pass up since the Raiders have at least $92.5 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.
Whether the Raiders show interest in Reddick, adding a player of his caliber is a no-brainer in creating a fierce tandem in the NFL.
Chase Young I New Orleans Saints
Young just finished with 5.5 sacks in 17 games played. He didn't record a start but still provided help for the Saints when he finished 31 tackles and 21 quarterback hits. Those numbers still show he can provide a big lift for any team that decides to sign him. Whether it is a starting or a reserve role, Young can give the Raiders a lot of help they need. Young has only started 32 games and hasn't started more than 10 games since his rookie season in 2020.
Young could give the Raiders help if they bring him in for depth. The Raiders still need to decide what they want to do with Malcolm Koonce, who didn't see a single snap last season because of injury.
