The Oakland Raiders have signed former Cincinnati Bengal starting safety Reggie Nelson. Nelson should come in and immediately start, as the Raiders secondary has been atrocious for the past couple of seasons. He should start either over current safety Tevin McDonald or Larry Asante and will be more productive than they ever could be. Nelson joining the Raiders brings them one step closer to returning to the playoffs, as consistent secondary play is something that this team has been searching for.
Now with Nelson set to start with players such as former Kansas City Chief Sean Smith and most likely a first round cornerback, Oakland could be very dangerous defensively. Nelson has been a consistent player for the Bengals and managed to record eight interceptions during the 2015 regular season, which just so happens to be the most that he has recorded in his entire career.
The Oakland Raiders had a big offseason, as they signed several key players who should help them make a playoff push. They signed offensive guard Kelechi Osemele, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, to a five-year, $58 million deal, which should sure up this offensive line. One of the main priorities this offseason for Oakland was to fortify this offensive line, and the signing of Osemele should go a long way torwards rebuilding it.
They also re-signed offensive lineman Donald Penn, who was about to be lured away in free agency. Now with Penn returning, there should be a level of consistency that we will see from this line that was not present during the 2015 regular season. Oakland also signed cornerback Sean Smith, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, to a four-year, $38 million deal.
Smith will be the top cornerback for the Raiders during the 2016 season and was one of the most sought after free agents cornerbacks on the market. The Raiders also signed linebacker Bruce Irvin, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, to a four-year, $37 million deal, which should bolster this defense and allow the Raiders to generate some more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
By adding Nelson, this secondary has gone through a drastic transformation seemingly overnight. Now with the draft quickly approaching, the Raiders will be able to add a first round cornerback to this secondary unit, making them better than ever for the 2016 season.
