Silver Minings: Raiders re-sign defensive tackles Adam Butler and John Jenkins, per reports

Team brings back two significant contributors on the d-line from last season

While the Las Vegas Raiders have been relatively quiet in free agency since Monday, the Raiders did make a couple of moves on Saturday. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Las Vegas is re-signing defensive tackle Adam Butler, and Fowler’s colleague Amber Wilson reported John Jenkins will re-sign with the team as well.

Butler made an impact as a rotational pass-rusher last season, racking up five sacks which were the third-most on the team behind Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce and the most of any defensive tackle. Per Pro Football Focus, the soon-to-be 30-year-old also accumulated 28 pressures — tied for the highest of his career — and earned a 70.2 pass-rush grade, a personal best.

Paired with Crosby, Koonce and big-ticket signing Christian Wilkins, the Raiders should have one of the league’s best pass-rushing units now that Butler is back in the fold, and bringing Jenkins back gives them a run-stuffing defensive tackle to help complete the line.

Last season, the 34-year-old nose tackle who turns 35 in July racked up a career-high 61 total tackles and four TFL. He also had 26 defensive stops as a run defender which was tied for the 13th-most among interior defenders during the regular season, per PFF.

As far as the NFL Draft goes, signing Wilkins already signaled that the Raiders will be looking to address a different position with the 13th overall pick. However, defensive tackles should still be on the front office’s radar in the middle rounds seeing as Butler and Jenkins are both in their 30s.

In Other Raiders’ Links:

• Jimmy Garoppolo heading to Los Angeles: despite being suspended for the first two games of the regular season, it didn’t take long for the Raiders’ former starting quarterback to find a new home as he reportedly signed with the Rams. Maybe Handsome Jim will launch an acting career in Hollywood, too.
• Wilkins the tone-setter: “It’s been a long time since the Raiders boasted a consistent difference-maker on the interior defensive line and the 28-year-old Wilkins is slated to change that — dramatically,” writes Silver and Black Pride’s Ray Aspuria. “And the 6-foot-4 and 310-pound Clemson product is a triple whammy for Las Vegas.”
• Jermaine Eluemor’s replacement mocked to Raiders: “Jermaine Eluemunor departed in free agency so that creates a void at right tackle,” via CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards. “JC Latham may hit a little too close to home considering they recently used another first-round selection on an Alabama right tackle (Alex Leatherwood) who did not pan out.”
• Hunter Renfrow named potential target for Chiefs: “Wide receiver is a position the Chiefs can’t ignore this offseason, and while Renfrow wouldn’t completely shore up any needs there, he would be a big boost to this offense,” Jason Schandl of KC Kingdom said. “…This is still a guy who averaged 8.3 yards per target over his first three seasons. For context, that average would have put him between Travis Kelce (8.1) and Justin Watson (8.7) at third place among non-running backs on the Chiefs’ roster in 2023.