Dee Ford rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

4. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are going to be strongly linked with any young pass rusher that hits the open market this offseason. The minute Jon Gruden decided to trade Khalil Mack to Chicago, it became obvious the Raiders would need to address their pass rush in a major way.

Ford isn’t going to cause fans in Oakland to forget all about Mack, but he could give the Raiders a crucial piece to build around on defense. Heading into his age-28 season might make Ford slightly too old to fit into the Raiders’ timeline for contention, but desperate teams can’t afford to wait around for the perfect player to come around.

Remember, this is a team that tried to pass off Frostee Rucker as a legitimate NFL starter for multiple games last year. If the Raiders want to give Arden Key a chance to develop on the other side of the line, they have to acquire someone who can command an occasional double team. Ford might not enjoy getting that much attention from opposing offensive lines, but he’d give the rest of Oakland’s defense a chance to succeed.

Ultimately, the Raiders need to spend whatever money and/or draft capital they can this offseason to fix their defense. They’ll throw money at any talented edge rusher that becomes available. Signing Ford would be a dream for Raiders fans who want to see a competitive defense in 2019.