3 free agents the Las Vegas Raiders need to sign this offseason

If there is one thing that prevented the Raiders from reaching the playoffs, it was their lack of a pass rush. Las Vegas recorded 21 sacks as a team this past season, which ranked as the fourth-lowest output in the league ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals (17), Jacksonville Jaguars (18) and Tennessee Titans (19). Out of those 21 sacks, defensive end Maxx Crosby account for a third of them with seven. That is inexcusable.

When it comes to the best option available for the Raiders, it is Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Bud Dupree.

Dupree put up modest numbers through his first four years in the NFL, but really broke onto the scene in 2019. That season, Dupree tallied 28 quarterback pressures, 17 quarterback hits and 11.5 sacks through 16 games, per Pro Football Reference. As a result, the Steelers kept Dupree on the franchise tag for the 2020 season.

This past season, Dupree was on pace to match his numbers from the previous year. But in Week 12, the edge rusher tore his ACL in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. In 11 games, Dupree recorded 28 pressures, 15 hits and eight sacks against the opposing quarterback.

Even though Dupree is coming off a season-ending knee injury, he should still command a good market. A return to the cap-strapped Steelers is doubtful due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger accounting for $41 million against the cap this year. Given how atrocious the Raiders pass rush was in 2020, they need to sign a big name in free agency.

Dupree fits the bill for what Las Vegas needs entering the 2021 campaign.