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New Las Vegas Raiders LB Nakobe Dean.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been looking to find a solution at linebacker for a long time, and they have finally found it. The team spent big to add Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker in free agency.
There was plenty of interest in Dean this offseason, and the Dallas Cowboys made a big push to get him. He even admitted that the Raiders just barely edged out the Cowboys. Dean has spent his whole career with a Philadelphia Eagles franchise that has won a lot of games.
He’s now joining a Raiders team that hasn’t won a playoff game in over two decades. However, he didn’t overthink the process. He explained why the Raiders were the team he wanted to play for.
“It ended up being a gut feeling, like most decisions I make,” Dean said, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I prayed on it a little bit and then it was just my gut feeling that told me to come here and I went with it.”
The Raiders don’t have a recent history of success, but that doesn’t mean they can’t finally turn things around. Dean is excited about the chance to be a part of the turnaround.
“It would be great to build something here,” he said. “I feel like most of the places I’ve been, we were working toward something special and when it comes down to it, it’s all about winning games and winning championships. That’s my goal here.”
Dean Excited to Reunite With Former Teammates
The fact that the Raiders have former Georiga stars Eric Stokes, Brock Bowers and Quay Walker on the roster also made Las Vegas an exciting landing spot. He’s already gotten to play with former Georgia teammates on the Eagles, but now he’s happy to play with some other ones.
“It’s amazing,” Dean said of playing with college teammates at NFL level. “I was able to do it with the Eagles with a couple of my Georgia guys there, too. Being able to play with another couple of them is great. I know how amazing it was there, and I’m pretty sure it will be the same here.”
Dean Spent a Lot of Time in Las Vegas in the Past
Las Vegas isn’t for everybody, but many athletes really enjoy the city. Dean revealed that he actually spent a lot of time in Las Vegas before signing with the franchise.
“I’m excited,” Dean said. “I look forward to coming here to build something and do it with a few guys I know. It’s a big opportunity here. I stay in Vegas for much of the offseason anyway, so it’s cool to have the opportunity to play for the Raiders.”
If he can be a big impact player on the Raiders’ defense, he’s going to be a made man in Las Vegas. The team has had a hard time building a fan base in the city due to the fact that they haven’t won many games. Winning should drive a lot more interest from the local sports fan base.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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