With free agency under a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ edge rusher position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.
Returning starter: Maxx Crosby, Yannick Ngakoue
Backups: Carl Nassib, Malcolm Koonce, Clelin Ferrell, Gerri Green
Free agents: None
Maxx Crosby had over 100 pressures this season and eight sacks to head to his first Pro Bowl. He then was named Pro Bowl MVP with two sacks and several batted passes and tackles in the game. He is the Raiders’ best player, possibly on either side of the ball.
Ngakoue came over last offseason on a two-year deal and immediately led the team in sacks. His presence helped solidify the Raiders’ outside pass rush.
Nassib came off the bench in a rotation along with Clelin Ferrell, combining for 3.0 sacks. While rookie third-round pick Koonce came in late in the season and put up two sacks in his first two games, showing some flashes that would suggest he could be a good situational pass rusher if given more reps.
Condition: Strong
This position is set with Crosby and Ngakoue leading the way. Nassib could be a cap casualty, but the hope is that Koonce could step up and fill his shoes. Ferrell doesn’t bring much to the table, but he has too much money left behind to dump him, so they can just hope to get the most out of him.
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