Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Signing Bruce Irvin and drafting Jihad Ward addresses Raiders run defense

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Not only did the Oakland Raiders revamp their secondary with the free-agent signings of cornerback Sean Smith and free safety Reggie Nelson and by using their first-round draft pick on strong safety Karl Joseph -- after all, the Raiders gave up 12 receiving touchdowns to tight ends last season -- Oakland also addressed the front seven’s run defense.

Sure, the Raiders did rank a somewhat respectable No. 13 in the NFL against the run, giving up an average of 104.9 yards per game.

But they were also one of just two teams in the league to allow more than 2.0 yards per carry on rushes inside the tackles, their 2.01 yards allowed eclipsed only by the Miami Dolphins’ 2.07 average, per ESPN Stats & Info.

So while the free-agent signing of outside linebacker Bruce Irvin solidifies the pass rush, he should also help firm up the run defense by giving support inside to tackles Dan Williams and Justin Ellis. Drafting the likes of Shilique Calhoun and Jihad Ward should also show this attention to detail.

Of course, Aldon Smith’s purported social media issues notwithstanding, he was not going to add anything to the defense until his calendar year-long suspension came to an end in November anyway.

Plus, while the Raiders list themselves as employing a 4-3 base defense, they can also easily slip into a 3-4 alignment with so many versatile linemen and linebackers.

And while All-Pro defensive end/outside linebacker Khalil Mack is seen as a pass-rushing menace, thanks to his 15 sacks last season, he is more well-rounded than that and can also crash inside against the run.

Mack's sack total, by the way, was the third-most in a Raiders season since the sack became an official stat in 1982. The two Raiders with more sacks in a season? Defensive ends Derrick Burgess and Sean Jones, who had 16 and 15.5 in 2005 and 1986, respectively.

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