2. Landon Collins
By no means is Collins a “second-tier” player, but he is a name that may slip through some cracks. The Raiders have a glaring hole at safety that they need to address, whether in free agency or the draft. If the Raiders were to land Collins, they would elevate their secondary instantly.
Collins has only spent four seasons, including this one, in the NFL but he already has two Pro Bowl nominations and one All-Pro nomination on his resume. On a very talented New York Giants defense, Collins finds a way to shine through, making play after play for his team. He brings intelligence and raw athleticism with him, and those are two things the Raiders defense is short on. Sorry Reggie Nelson, but you are hurting more than helping at this point.
He leads the Giants in tackles and is a true sideline to sideline defender. His versatility must be cherished by Gruden, and I am sure the Raiders head coach/general manager has already bookmarked Collins as a target in free agency.
The pairing of Karl Joseph and Reggie Nelson needs to end, and the answer to the Raiders defensive woes is right there for the taking in Collins. He will likely cost a pretty penny, but the Raiders have more than enough cap space to bring in a terrific player like Collins. Oh, and by the way, he is only 24-years-old.
Signing Collins would give the Raiders more flexibility to draft a linebacker or pass rusher, knowing that there will be help in the secondary, even if it is only one man.
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