Raiders Sign Defensive Tackle Vernon Butler
The free agency shopping spree continues for the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Wednesday, the club announced the signing of unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Vernon Butler.
Butler joins the Silver and Black on a one-year deal after spending the last two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and the previous four with the Carolina Panthers.
A former first-round draft pick (30th overall) in 2016 for the Panthers, Butler appeared in 76 games with 19 starts over his career, recording 106 tackles (56 solos), eight sacks, three defensed, four passes, and four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Butler was a late bloomer for the Panthers, and while his last season in Carolina was subpar, he was allowed to test free agency and would end up signing with the Bills shortly after.
In his two seasons with the Bills, Butler played in 24 games with 10 starts, totaling 29 tackles (11 solos), one pass defensed and one forced fumble.
At 27-years-old, Butler is a young player with plenty of experience under his belt.
In Butler’s college career at Louisiana Tech. he played in 48 games with 28 starts.
Butler finished his college career with 170 tackles, five sacks, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He earned All-Conference USA First Team honors as a senior in 2015 after posting 50 tackles, two passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
The Raiders' signing adds depth at a position in need of an upgrade.
Butler joins Andrew Billings and Kendal Vickers as the only competitive defensive tackles on the roster as of now, with a chance of becoming a starter.
The team also awaits the free agency market on Solomon Thomas, Johnathan Hankins, and Gerald McCoy, who have yet to re-sign with the Raiders or another team.
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