Raiders Re-Sign $93 Million Star DL On 1-Year Contract For 2024 Season….
The Raiders have re-signed defensive tackle John Jenkins, per ESPN’s Amber Wilson. It will be a one-year, $3.25MM pact for the 34-year-old.
Las Vegas signed Jenkins to a one-year deal last March, and he wound up starting all 17 games for the club in 2023 while piling up a career-high 61 total tackles. That mark was also the highest among all of the Raiders’ interior defenders last season (h/t Levi Damien of Raiders Wire).
That said, Pro Football Focus was not particularly high on his work, assigning Jenkins a middling 61.2 overall grade and a 55.6 mark for his efforts against the run. Still, he was a key part of a unit that finished eighth in defensive DVOA in 2023, and GM Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce clearly believed that Jenkins and fellow D-lineman Adam Butler, who was re-upped just yesterday, were worthy of another contract.
Of course, the Raiders’ biggest splash this offseason was the acquisition of former Dolphin Christian Wilkins on a four-year, $110MM deal. Wilkins will replace Bilal Nichols — who recently signed with the Cardinals — and his presence will only help Jenkins and Butler, who will likely get the most reps at the other DT spot. Keeping Jenkins and Butler around will also allow the club to continue developing recent draftees like Byron Young, Matthew Butler, and Nesta Jade Silvera in a reserve capacity. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal expects Telesco to make further additions to the defensive line in the upcoming draft.
Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Dolphins — who employed Jenkins in 2019 and then again from 2021-22 — brought their former defender in for a visit a few days ago as part of their extensive efforts to replace Wilkins’ production. We do not know if Miami extended an offer.
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Raiders Quietly Putting Together a Quality Roster
The Las Vegas Raiders and General Manager Tom Telesco are quietly building out a roster that has the potential to find themselves in playoff contention next season instantly. While the Raiders have only made a few moves so far, they have made some of the best moves they could have decided to make. Starting with an offseason splash, the Raiders signed veteran defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to a deal that added him to a defensive line containing Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, and Tyree Wilson. They also recently resigned Adam Butler, adding even more depth to an already strong defensive line. The Raiders arguably have one of the best defensive lines in the National Football League.
While Wilkins was the most significant move they made so far, they’ve quietly kept a few of their free agents, who were also significant signings. Along with Butler, the Raiders brought back running back Ameer Abdullah and center Andre James.
Both players give continuity to an offense with almost an entirely new coaching staff and will have many new faces on the roster. Their presence cannot be understated in a season with so many changes.
Then there were the Raiders’ moves that saw them let multiple vital pieces of their roster leave, which is almost equally important as the players who decided to stay on their team and the new players they chose to bring in.
By letting running back Josh Jacobs and offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor leave in free agency, the Raiders are changing their philosophy at two of the most critical offensive positions. They also decided to let cornerback Amik Robertson leave in free agency, creating a void that must be filled this offseason, either via the NFL Draft, free agency, or both.
As they turn their focus to next season, the Raiders must continue to be proactive this offseason and add the necessary pieces to take the next steps toward playoff contention.