Dontari Poe rumors: Falcons, Colts, Raiders among free agent suitors
By Matt Conner
Oakland Raiders
Why it would work: The Raiders would love nothing more than to strip an asset away from a divisional foe. They’ve done the same with Rodney Hudson and Sean Smith, so adding Poe to the mix would make sense in that vein. It also helps that the Raiders front seven could use the sort of anchor that Poe would provide. Signing a player from a division rival only hurts as much as it helps the new team (e.g. Ask the Chiefs how much they regret allowing Donald Stephenson to sign with the Broncos.), so fortunately Poe would both be a good fit and hurt a rival.
The Raiders lost Stacy McGee in free agency to the Washington Redskins and his presence will be missed, even as limited as his snaps were during the season. The heart of the Raiders defense is super soft, even as their pass rushing ends are among the NFL’s best. That’s true for the defensive interior and middle linebacker, so if the Raiders can roll into the draft needing only a Zach Cunningham or Jarrad Davis instead of an impact talent along the line, too, McKenzie will be well set.
Why it wouldn’t work: The Raiders are last on the visit list, which means they should have the longest odds of anyone. Poe has already visited the Colts, who said the visit went well, and he’s still got the Jaguars and Falcons to work through before Oakland will have their say. At any time, a team could present an offer, which would keep the Raiders from even getting a shot.
Odds: 8-1