The Las Vegas Raiders have added a key depth piece following a preseason Week 1 showing that left a lot to be desired on the defensive side of the ball, and more specifically, the defensive line.
The Las Vegas Raiders signed defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi just days after their first preseason game, a loss to the Arizona Cardinals that exposed serious depth concerns along the interior defensive line. The move addresses a problem that was evident from the opening snap, as the Raiders got pushed around up front and failed to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback. Arizona's passers started 16-for-16, and while Maxx Crosby sitting out played a significant role, the interior was the bigger issue throughout the entire game.
Some players stepped up on the edge, and a few even flashed on the interior . But the overall picture inside was not great. The signing makes sense when you look at the current group. Adam Butler, Jonah Lo'alu, Benito James, J.J. Pegues, Gary Smith, and Brandon Cleveland make up the six interior linemen on the roster. Tonka Hemingway and Thomas Booker have also taken some reps on the inside from the defensive end spot. The Raiders needed another body, and they got a good one.
4 games played
8 tackles.
1.5 sacks
Fatukasi is a 6-foot-4, 320-pound nose tackle with a lengthy NFL resume. He finished last season with 1.5 sacks, which doesn't jump off the page, but context matters. He played nose tackle, where sack numbers are never the primary measuring stick. Over his career, he has logged 7 sacks from the nose position, 195 tackles, and 28 tackles for loss.
He spent the last two seasons with the Houston Texans , two years before that with the Jacksonville Jaguars , and four years with the New York Jets before that. He's exactly the kind of player the Raiders need right now, someone who can eat up space and hold the point of attack, especially when defensive coordinator Rob Leonard puts the team in its 3-4 base defense.
The one concern with this signing is what it means for the younger players. You hope this doesn't take away from the development of guys like J.J. Pegues and Tonka Hemingway, along with some of the other interior linemen fighting for roster spots. But Fatukasi is a veteran who knows how to play, and the Raiders clearly felt the need outweighed the risk.
This is a smart move by general manager John Spytek. He's been doing this for the last two years, identifying where the roster is weak and moving quickly to address it. Now the question becomes whether Fatukasi will get any run against his former team, the Houston Texans, in the Raiders' next preseason game. Las Vegas is set to hold joint practices with Houston this week, giving Fatukasi an early opportunity to prove he belongs in the rotation.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Raiders sign veteran DT after interior defensive line struggles become impossible to ignore in preseason opener
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