The Las Vegas Raiders have their work cut out for them in 2023 if they want to compete for a playoff spot. Not much has gone right for them this offseason, as their moves have been questioned by a lot of people.
The one that people are talking about the most right now is the status of running back Josh Jacobs. There has been no update on that front, as he remains away from the team after no long-term deal was agreed upon between him and the Raiders. Las Vegas placed the franchise tag on him earlier this offseason but he has yet to sign it, which is why he isn’t present at training camp.
Without Jacobs, the team is going to have to figure out another way to manufacture production offensively. He was a key contributor last season, leading the NFL in rushing yards. Replacing a player of his caliber will not be easy.
One way for the Raiders to overcome that loss would be for the defense to show improvements. Last season, Las Vegas’ defense would have struggled to stop the common cold. They ranked 26th in points allowed and 28th in yardage as teams moved the ball with little resistance.
Looking to continue reshaping that side of the ball, the Raiders are leaving no stone unturned. That is why they had free-agent linebacker Vince Biegel in for a workout this week according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Biegel has had some terrible injury luck in his career. He tore his Achilles in 2020 as a member of the Miami Dolphins and again in 2022 in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens. That has led to him playing in only five games since the 2019 season, as he has missed two full seasons recovering.
In his last full season as a contributor defensively with the Dolphins in 2019, Biegel produced. He had 59 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, 18 combined pressures and one interception in 15 games.
If Beigel can show that he is healthy, he is someone that could help the Raiders at the second level of their defense. Their linebacker group has been a weakness they have tried to address with no success.
Bringing in Biegel to see if he has anything left to offer is a low-risk, high-reward type of move for the Raiders to make.
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