On the same day that the team brought in Chandler Jones to team with Maxx Crosby at defensive end, the Silver and Black also traded away Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts. Ngakoue came to Las Vegas on a two-year deal back in 2021, and in his only season with the Raiders, he was outstanding, leading the team in sacks, and was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 7.
Unfortunately, the new regime decided it was best to trade him away for some secondary help, and they did so by sending him to the Colts for Rock Ya-Sin. For a team that has struggled mightily in the defensive backfield, the arrival of Ya-Sin was a welcome one, but for Ngakoue, it proved to be very heavily one-sided in Indianapolis’s favor.
Ya-Sin battled through an injury-riddled season in Las Vegas, and while he was solid, Ngakoue went to Indianapolis and had 9.5 sacks. Las Vegas goes into the 2023 offseason with more questions than answers in the secondary, and with Ya-Sin a pending free agent, the Raiders may have given Ngakoue away for a one-and-done player.
