DAVIE, FLORIDA – AUGUST 25: Raekwon McMillan #52 of the Miami Dolphins stretches with the team during training camp at Baptist Health Training Facility at Nova Southern University on August 25, 2020 in Davie, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
In some big weekend news, the Raiders have acquired linebacker Raekwon McMillan from the Dolphins.
With Week 1 of the NFL season right around the corner, Jon Gruden and the Las Vegas Raiders have decided to bring in some help on the defensive side of the ball, landing a hard-hitting linebacker.
On Saturday morning, news broke the Raiders had agreed to a trade with the Miami Dolphins, landing 24-year old ‘backer Raekwon McMillan. In this deal, the Raiders acquired McMillan and a fifth-round pick, while the Dolphins are receiving a fourth-rounder.
The Raiders are entering their first year in Las Vegas and have high expectations for the 2020 campaign
McMillan is entering his third year in the league, spending the first two seasons of his pro career in Miami. In those two years, he’s posted 177 tackles. During his rookie year, McMillan really turned heads in the middle of the defense for Miami.
That season, he finished with 105 tackles and started all 16 games for the Dolphins. Now, he’ll head from the AFC East to the AFC West to try and help the Raiders get back on the right track defensively.
As a whole, Las Vegas hasn’t quite lived up to the hype in recent years under Gruden. They missed the playoffs in 2019, with quarterback Derek Carr struggling. Now, though, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the team now that the Raiders are in Sin City. How will they be able to perform?
Adding McMillan is a big move for the defense. When you’ve got guys like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and so many other stars in the division, it helps to bring your A-game defensively to try and stop them. McMillan is a tackle machine, so look for him to make an immediate impact the second he starts wearing a Raiders jersey.