4 Raiders who won’t be back after giving out huge Christian Wilkins contract
By Mark Powell
2. The Raiders don't need John Jenkins anymore
Vegas signed a star defensive tackle in Wilkins, making it all the more unlikely that they bring back the likes of John Jenkins. Spotrac predicts that Jenkins will earn close to $4 million in free agency on a short-term deal. The Raiders can sign cheaper defensive line depth than that, though there's little doublt Jenkins will receive that deal somewhere.
The Raiders had nothing but good things to say about Jenkins during the season, as the nose tackle performed up to the standard of his contract.
“In terms of Jenkins, he does his job. He knows his role and he does his job really well,” Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said of the defensive tackle during the coach’s media availability in November. “He eats up the middle of the defense, he gets off of blocks, he pushes the middle of the pocket.”
All that being said, the Raiders have potential replacements on the roster who might be better fits at the position considering their size. Nesta Jade Silvera and Marquan McCall are both bigger than Jenkins, and should be considered if they do in fact let him walk.