Sign OLB Dee Ford
Again, with this move pass rush is key for the Raiders.
Outside linebacker Dee Ford is coming off a 2018 season in which he amassed 13 sacks, 29 QB hits and seven forced fumbles. He tied for the most forced fumbles and the eight most sacks in the entire league. He was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first team.
For his career, Ford has 30.5 sacks, 69 QB and nine forced fumbles over 67 games and 41 starts.
Ford led the league in quarterback pressures with 77 in 2018. He has excellent speed off the edge and is a force when he gets into the backfield. Ford would give the Raiders an excellent pass rusher after their dreadful 2017. At just 28, he is entering his prime and would be a player to build around for the future.
As for the team’s current outside linebackers, Tahir Whitehead earned an average 56.6 grade from PFF while Nicholas Morrow earned a below average 51.5. Both combined for just one sack. It’s important to note that Whitehead did show strides throughout the year, amassing 126 tackles. There’s a chance he continues to start heading into next year.
Ford would give the Oakland a proven pass rusher off the edge. He had the same sack total himself that the entire Raiders team had combined. It doesn’t hurt that signing him would also take him away from the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.
Adding Ford, along with Ferrell would begin to give the Raiders a formidable front seven. With young pieces in Ferrell, Key, Hall and Hurst, as well as a leader in Ford, the team should see their sack numbers rise drastically going into 2019.
Bottom line, the Raiders need a pass rush and Ford is one of the best available in the market. He would completely change the outlook of Oakland’s defense.
Ford’s 2018 has put him squarely on the map and will likely make him one of the most coveted outside linebackers available. With his value on the rise, there is a good chance he is franchise tagged by the Chiefs. However, if Kansas City deems the tag to be too pricey, the Raiders should be all over the former first round pick.
