Mychal Kendricks visiting with Oakland Raiders, should they sign him?
Free agent linebacker, Mychal Kendricks, is set to visit with the Oakland Raiders this week. Should the team seriously consider signing him?
Spoiler alert: they should.
The Oakland Raiders still need help at linebacker, and now they are bringing in a player for a visit who has a chance to fill that need. Veteran linebacker, Mychal Kendricks, was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason and has yet to find a new NFL home.
Per Pro Football Talk, Kendricks has confirmed that he will be leaving to Oakland tonight, May 29th, after concluding his visit with the Minnesota Vikings.
Many expected Kendricks to sign with the Vikings and in turn have the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Eric Kendricks. Kendricks leaving Minnesota without a contract is a good sign for any team who wishes to pursue him.
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Now set to meet with the Oakland Raiders, the ball is the Raiders court if they wish to land the veteran linebacker. But should they want to bring him in? The answer is a resounding yes. Kendricks would be a perfect fit in Oakland, as the team desperately needs athleticism at linebacker.
As of now, it seems that the Oakland Raiders will start Tahir Whitehead and Derrick Johnson at strongside linebacker and middle linebacker, but are still without a reliable third linebacker. In previous seasons this spot would have been filled by Bruce Irvin, but he has been moved to full time defensive end for this upcoming season.
Derrick Johnson is a reliable veteran presence for the team, but he is far from athletic for the position. Bringing in Kendricks to play next to him would be a perfect fit, making up for some of the athleticism lost in Johnson with one of the more athletic linebackers in the league in Mychal Kendricks.
Linebacker is currently the most glaring weakness on the Raiders defense, after the team made moves to improve greatly at defensive line and cornerback. Bringing in a player like Kendricks is exactly what this team needs to elevate their defense from league average to very good.
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Clearly the team is interested in Kendricks, but it has yet to be seen if he truly wishes to play for the Raiders or if his visit with them is simply a leverage move to drive up the price of his potential deal with the Vikings.
We should find out if the coming days, but for now we are left to hope that things work out in the Raiders favor and they begin next season with Mychal Kendricks on their roster.