It’s no secret that the Raiders want to continue to add bodies to their defensive line. While their pass-rush has been good in some games, it’s often far too inconsistent. They are also hurting some with Arden Key missing the last two games, so they need to add another player or two to round out their rotation.
One player that could help fill that void is recently-released defensive end Takk McKinley. After turning down trade offers for the former first-round pick, the Falcons officially waived McKinley on Tuesday. He is now subject to waivers and the Raiders are expected to place a claim on him, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune.
Hearing #Raiders will make a claim on Takk McKinley. Their priority makes them a long shot with 5-3 record. Worst records first. Besides getting McKinley, he'd bring compensatory pick if he leaves. Salary just under 875K for rest of season.
— Jerry McDonald (@Jerrymcd) November 11, 2020
Waivers are officially processed at 4:00 p.m. E.T. and we shall see if McKinley makes it to the Raiders. McKinley has played in four games this season, totaling seven quarterback hits on 85 snaps. The best season of his career came in 2018 when he totaled seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits.
It’s worth noting that general manager Mike Mayock ranked McKinley as his No. 19 player in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was also a pre-draft favorite of defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who was with the Dallas Cowboys at the time. Atlanta traded ahead of Dallas to draft him, as that would have been the selection for the Cowboys at No. 27.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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