Social media is a revolutionary thing. Through the powers of social media, you can talk to just about anyone, anywhere in the world. This is helpful when you’re reaching out to family or making new friends, but you also get a new glimpse into the lives of celebrities and athletes. Safety Tony Jefferson knows this, and he shook up the Raider Nation with a couple of tweets.
The Oakland Raiders and Tony Jefferson
Free agency is right around the corner, and because of this, people are beginning to speculate who will go where. Even here on Last Word on Pro Football, articles about potential Oakland Raider signings have been written! When rumors began circulating about wide receiver DeSean Jackson potentially signing with the Oakland Raiders, Tony Jefferson took notice.
@djhomicide that’s be unfair . D jack in the slot with amari outside with crab.. damn
— Tony Jefferson (@_tonyjefferson) February 13, 2017
DJ Homicide dug a little deeper, saying the Raiders could use Jackson, but they would also like to see the young safety in Silver and Black.
@djhomicide yeee.. we’ll see in couple weeks tho ,they know wassup lol
— Tony Jefferson (@_tonyjefferson) February 13, 2017
Does He Fit?
Does Tony Jefferson fit in with the Oakland Raiders? In a word, duh. Oakland’s pass defense is atrocious, and even if he was playing out of position, Reggie Nelson isn’t getting any younger. Jefferson is only 25 years old, and would be an excellent partner for second year safety, Karl Joseph.
Jefferson will want a decent amount of money in free agency, but nothing that will break the bank. The biggest case against signing him is that the Raiders need to extend the contracts of Derek Carr and Khalil Mack over the next two off-seasons. Signing Jefferson would be a great move for the Raiders, as it would lock up the back half of the secondary for the next five years. However, while it’s great for Oakland, it might not be right for Tony Jefferson.
Ulterior Motives
As much sense as it makes on the surface, there’s a sad truth right underneath. As great as it would be to see the young safety wearing silver and black, he might just be playing the Oakland Raiders against the Arizona Cardinals. Jefferson brought up how the Oakland Raiders have been known to spend money, and how he’d like to play with them.
The Raider Nation saw this as Jefferson declaring that he’d like to suit up for the Raiders, but they might not have been his target audience. There’s a very real possibility that Tony Jefferson is just trying to increase his value to the Cardinals. If they think there’s a real chance he’ll sign with someone else, they might be more inclined to offer him more money.
In Summation
Should the Oakland Raiders sign Tony Jefferson? Absolutely, if they can. As long as he isn’t asking for too much money, he could be the perfect solution for Oakland’s secondary problem. If the Raiders can sign Jefferson and Kansas City’s Dontari Poe, they can immediately transform their defense. Give Derek Carr and company an elite defense? And this Raiders team might be looking to unseat the kings of the AFC, the New England Patriots.
