NFL Rumors: Christian Kirksey Talking To Bills, Packers And Raiders Among Others
It took no time at all for former Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey to draw quite a bit of attention. The Inquisitr reported earlier there were at least three teams interested in the linebacker. Now it appears some of the teams interested in the defender are known.
Bleacher Report‘s Joe Tansey says the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills could be Kirksey’s top pursuers. The linebacker was due to check out the Bills’ complex on Friday, though there were some who question whether or not he ever arrived. It’s possible the worries over coronavirus sidelined his trip to that part of New York state.
Tansey pointed out that if Kirksey does make it to Buffalo for a visit and decides to call that team home, he’d be adding to an already stout defense. The Bills allowed the third-fewest yards in the NFL in 2019 and they could be looking to get another outside linebacker to shore that unit up. If Tom Brady leaves New England, the Patriots will no longer be the odds-on favorite to win the AFC East. The Bills could be looking to step up and take over the division.
The Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders — which both reportedly hosted Kirksey earlier in the week — are not in the same defensive situation. The Packers were 18th in the league in total defense last season. The Raiders were 19th. Tansey points out either squad could use a shot in the arm in the form of a linebacker who routinely records more than 100 tackles when he’s 100 percent healthy.
The issue, of course, is whether or not he’s going to be 100 percent healthy. Kirksey has had his seasons cut short by various injuries the last two years.
Tansey also believes the eventual landing spot that makes the most sense for Kirksey is the Raiders. Not only do they need all the help they can get on defense, but they have cap space to spare. Las Vegas has more than $47 million in space they can dedicate to new signings or additional space in trades.
This is one of the reasons the team has been one of the top rumored landing spots for Tom Brady. They could conceivably sign both Brady and Kirksey and, depending on the terms of the contract, add a little bit more. With the number of visits Christian Kirksey has taken in just the few days he’s been a free agent, it appears he’s looking to make a final decision relatively soon.
