Oakland Raiders: Free Agents The Team Should Make A Run At This Offseason
By Kevin Saito
He’s seven seasons in and just 29 years old, which means that Larinaitis still has some tread left on those tires of his. Enough tread that McKenzie and Del Rio should give some serious consideration to bringing him in for coffee and a chat.
The Rams released him not because his play had declined – he had 109 tackles and a sack last season – and helped put a lot of the toughness into the Rams’ pretty brutal defensive front. Most agree that the Rams had a much better than average front seven and Larinaitis was a big part of that. But he was a victim of the salary cap.
Laurinaitis is a tough, gritty guy. He’s professional, self-sacrificing, and a team first guy – which is music to the ears of Del Rio and McKenzie’s ears – and most importantly, he’s durable. Laurinaitis has not missed a single game in his career, dating back to his rookie season in 2009. He’s started every single game of his career, which if you’re scoring at home is 112 consecutive starts.
His grittiness and toughness, not to mention his experience and professionalism is something this team wants and needs. He would be a good mentor to the young guys like Heeney and Ball, and he would perform well on the field.
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The Saints and the Falcons both have already expressed their interest in getting Larinaitis on their rosters, so McKenzie might be facing something of an uphill climb to secure his services. Ultimately, he may not be able to land him.
But it would be a cryin’ shame if he didn’t at least reach out to see if they can get Laurinaitis in for a chat. He’s a guy that could really help this defense grow and mature.