This offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders weren't as aggressive in free agency on the defensive side of the ball as we maybe thought they should be. Well, at least, that was the feeling going into the season. We knew, based on the 2022 season, that the defense could potentially be bad again.
They brought in a few big names like Marcus Epps and Marcus Peters, but outside of those guys, it was mainly fringe roster players that were added.
So, no one thought this defense would take the big step it did. And man, did the defense get better. They became one of the better units in the league. One of the guys that flew under the radar from this offseason was defensive tackle Adam Butler, who has somehow revitalized his career in Las Vegas.
During the loss to the Colts, where he had a sack on Gardner Minshew, Butler tried one of his best career accolades. Here is what the Raiders' PR team tweeted out during the game about Butler and his season:
DT Adam Butler brings down Colts QB Gardner Minshew II for a loss of nine yards to force an IND punt. Butler now has 4.0 sacks in 2023, his highest single-season sack total since 2020 as a member of the Patriots.
Butler is third on the team in sacks behind Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. For a guy whom the Raiders signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract this offseason, according to Spotrac, he definitely turned out to be somewhat of a steal.
Butler has been great this season and, in a way, has revitalized his career with the Raiders. There's a chance the Raiders will bring him back this season, but there is also a chance he gets a bit better contract with someone else.
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