The Oakland Raiders already feel comfortable with their defense heading into the 2013 season after making a number of solid signings and draft picks, but after Desmond Bishop was released by the Green Bay Packers, could Reggie McKenzie make another addition to the roster?
According to ESPN.com, Oakland could take a look at Bishop after his release, as general manager Reggie McKenzie previously came from Green Bay and there is a connection there. Both Oakland and Kansas City have ties to the Packers with their general manager's and that means Chiefs heads John Dorsey could also be in play for Bishop. Reports have the linebacker meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, but so far no deal is imminent and that could open the door for the Raiders.
Oakland could be a solid fit for Bishop even though the Raiders have a deep pool of talent at linebacker, as Dennis Allen is planning to run the unit fast and aggressive and that could mean a lot of substitutions and possible injuries down the line. You can never have too much of a good thing in the NFL and if the team added Bishop to the mix with free agents Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett as well as draft pick Sio Moore, the unit could be one of the best in the division if not in the league.
Roach is set at middle linebacker and although he isn't exactly a perfect fit in the system, he is from the Bay Area and that could sway him to come back there. Scouts in the report say that he can play both in a 4-3 and in a 3-4 and that would make him an option with the Raiders. The 29-year-old now is the most attractive free agent on the market and he could end up having other suitors than just the Vikings depending on if they give him a contract offer or not.
Bishop is coming off a serious hamstring injury and that could be the biggest hang-up, but the Raiders could use more depth even if they don't "need" it, as their defense ranked 20th and 198th in the NFL in passing yards and rushing yards allowed per game and if the team wants to improve from its 4-12 record last season, they need to get those numbers down across the board. The team made a number of moves that should help this offseason, including adding Charles Woodson, Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter on defense as well as Matt Flynn at quarterback.
