Raiders' Updated Depth Chart, Salary-Cap Space After Reported Chandler Jones Contract

The Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson, and the Las Vegas Raiders countered by signing one of the best pass-rushers on the market on Wednesday.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Raiders reached an agreement with Chandler Jones on a contract that will pay him around $17 million annually. Wilson, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes will now have to face off with the edge combo of Jones and Maxx Crosby twice per year:

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Las Vegas Raiders Depth Chart—Defense

• DE: Chandler Jones, Malcolm Koonce
  
• NT: Kendal Vickers, Andrew Billings
  
• DT: Bilal Nichols, PJ Johnson 
• DE: Maxx Crosby, Clelin Ferrell, Gerri Green 
• SLB: Marquel Lee, Kyle Wilber 
• MLB: Denzel Perryman, Nick Kwiatkoski, Justin March 
• WLB: Divine Deablo, Cory Littleton, Patrick Onwuasor 
• LCB: Trayvon Mullen, Darius Phillips 
• SS: Johnathan Abram, Roderic Teamer Jr., Tyree Gillespie 
• FS: Trevon Moehrig, Dallin Leavitt, Jordan Brown 
• RCB: Keisean Nixon, Natrell Jamerson 
• NB: Nate Hobbs, Amik Robertson, Cre'Von LeBlanc

Depth chart via OurLads.com  

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Las Vegas is, however, trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The arrival of Jones will certainly offset Ngakoue's departure, though.

The Raiders have $31.8 million in salary-cap space when factoring in Ngakoue's $8 million dead-cap hit, per Spotrac. Depending on the final number for Jones, the team still has some room financially to remain active in free agency.

Part of that money will presumably be earmarked for the secondary.

Casey Hayward, who had 46 tackles and nine passes defended in 2021, is a free agent. The Raiders were also last in team interceptions (six), underlining their need for a true shutdown cornerback.

Fans will be understandably excited about what Jones and Crosby can do rushing off the edge.

Jones was a Pro Bowler for the fourth time in 2021 and finished with double-digit sacks (10.5) for the seventh time in 10 seasons. His sack total is slightly skewed, though, considering he had five in Arizona's Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Crosby, meanwhile, was a Pro Bowler for the first time and registered eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits.

Perhaps Las Vegas intended to target Jones the entire time because the presence of Herbert and Mahomes already put a premium on building a strong front seven. But it's easy to connect the dots between this move and Denver's addition of Wilson.

The domino effect probably isn't over, either.

And for the Raiders, this likely isn't their last notable move given the areas of their team they still need to address.