The Oakland Raiders just cannot seem to find a way to stop the run. Despite having a very talented defensive front seven, the Raiders have the ability to make an average running back look like a stud. In their game this week against the Houston Texans, for the first time this season, the Raiders really will be facing a stud running back. Don't get me wrong, Fred Jackson is having a hell of a year in Buffalo, but he is no Arian Foster.
Realizing that they need to do something quick in order to improve their run defense, the Raiders had veteran defensive lineman Trevor Pryce in Oakland for talks this week. Pryce is a 14 year veteran who has played for the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. Though Pryce has not played at all this season, the Raiders believe that the 36 year old veteran can still be a productive player in a defensive line rotation that is as deep as the Raiders is.
Pryce is known as a dual threat who is stout in run defense and can also put pressure on the quarterback. Clearly, the Raiders have struggled against the run and any added support is not only welcome, but is necessary. In addition, the Raiders have failed to get good pressure on the quarterback in both of their losses, so hopefully he would also be able to assist in that area as well.
If the Raiders do sign Pryce, he will not likely get a huge amount of playing time on Sunday against the Texans, but the ability to have another big body and run stuffer in the defensive line rotation should help keep the defensive line fresh and help them keep Arian Foster in check.