Oakland Raiders: A few free agents to target, one to take a hard pass on
By Kevin Saito
Preston Brown (ILB)
Oakland’s search for help on the second level of their defense is well documented and long running. For whatever reason, the Raiders just can’t seem to get solid, reliable help in their linebackers room.
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The addition of Tahir Whitehead, Kyle Wilber, and Emmanuel Lamur – additions loudly trumpted by Gruden – have not panned out. To say the least. The Raiders still don’t defend the run well, and are still routinely abused by opposing tight ends and backs catching passes out of the backfield.
Preston Brown could be a significant upgrade in the second level of that defense. At 26 years old, this is his fifth season in the league, so he’s got the requisite veteran experience Gruden seems to require in his free agent signings. And, prior to this season, he’s averaged about 126 tackles a year.
Brown has been solid against the run and even has five interceptions to his credit over the course of his career, suggesting that he’s also stout against the pass. He’s quick enough to chase down running backs, cover tight ends, and at six-foot-one, 251 pounds, is big enough to shut down the opposing team’s running lanes.
He doesn’t get a tremendous amount of attention – which is perhaps a byproduct of playing in Buffalo and then Cincinnati. But, he’s thrived in both places.
Because he’s not a household name, it could keep his market somewhat quite low. Which could also be a decent selling point for Gruden and McKenzie. And because the Raiders will have significant cap space, they could very well dangle a deal Brown finds to his liking.