Maybe Oakland Raiders’ Plan-A Shouldn’t Be Dont’a Hightower After All

The Oakland Raiders need an inside linebacker, and with much of the focus being on a certain Super Bowl champ, one name is sort of flying under the radar – a name they may want to pursue instead.

Okay, so maybe he’s not exactly flying below the radar. At least, not for many. And hopefully not for Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie. With an absolutely pressing need at inside linebacker, much of the dot connecting has the Raiders pursuing Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower. And with good reason – the guy is a stud.

But there’s somebody else out there who could provide the sort of physical, smart, solid all-around play the Raiders need from an inside linebacker – Zach Brown.

Initially signed by the Bills to be a backup to Reggie Ragland, Brown found himself in the starting lineup after the rookie tore his ACL, ending his year before it ever began. And Brown responded with an incredible year that culminated in a trip to the Pro Bowl.

For the year, Brown finished with 149 tackles (97 solo), four sacks, a pick, and two forced fumbles – not bad for a guy who wasn’t even supposed to be in the starting lineup.

At 6’1”, 242 lbs., he’s a little bit smaller than Hightower – who stands 6’4” and checks in at 270 lbs. But he plays bigger than his size and has shown a tremendous knack for being around the ball and making plays.

Hightower is the more celebrated of the two – winning a championship with the Patriots is basically his golden ticket. Hightower is a tremendous athlete and would be a fantastic addition to this Raiders roster, make no mistake about that.

But the biggest reason why McKenzie and the Raiders should prioritize pursuing Brown over Hightower comes down one simple thing – the price tag.

Hightower is going to command one hefty salary when he hits the open market. Some outlets are putting the figure out there around $15 million annually – at least.

And Brown, played in Buffalo last year on a modest one-year $1.25 million dollar deal. While it would be ludicrous to think McKenzie can get him for the same price – Brown is going to get himself a very sizeable raise – he may not be quite as pricey as Hightower.

With the massive amount of money McKenzie and the Raiders are going to have to cough up to keep Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson, and Khalil Mack in a Silver and Black uniform, smart spending is going to be essential.

Heading into free agency, the Raiders have just under $44 million in cap space. And with most of that already earmarked for their cornerstone pieces, McKenzie’s warchest is going to be thin. To land an impact free agent or two, he’s going to have to make some cuts to the current roster – Dan Williams and Reggie Nelson are among the most frequently cited.

More from Las Vegas Raiders News

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
• Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
• Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
• Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots

Should McKenzie pull the trigger and pink slip Williams and Nelson, that will free up another $10 million or so in cap space – which in theory, should be enough to land somebody like Brown.

In theory, of course.

Given the way some GM’s throw money around, a heated bidding war could erupt for Brown’s services and drive his price tag up to equal Hightower’s.

But given the fact that most of the attention is going to center on teams pursuing Hightower, McKenzie would be wise to slip in through the back door and try to lock Brown down before that market is established.

Hightower is an impact player. Landing him would be fantastic. But Brown has shown that he too, can be an impact player and the kind of defensive force in the middle of that defense the Raiders absolutely have to have this year.

Next: Prioritizing Raiders FA Wish List By Needs

When the free agency window opens, it’s going to be madness as teams trample over one another to nab those prized free agents. And though Zach Brown is undoubtedly on the radar of plenty of teams, McKenzie could do a lot worse than trying to lock him down to a deal quickly.

Though most see Hightower as Oakland’s plan-A heading into free agency, perhaps the smarter play is to target and sign Zach Brown instead.