The Oakland Raiders made a move to hopefully fix their defense this season, as they have signed NaVorro Bowman to a one-year deal. The former San Francisco 49ers linebacker hit the free-agent market Friday, and The Raiders were one of the teams interested in his services. Bowman still has the skill set to be one of the game's best linebackers, and joining the Raiders is the first step of getting there. The Raiders are hoping to improve on defense, as they have been one the NFL's most disappointing teams through the first six weeks of the season.

Impressive resume

Bowman's resume as an NFL linebacker is very impressive. Bowman was a part of the dominant 49ers defense that carried the team to three Nfc Championship games and one Super Bowl. He was a tackling machine, tallying at least 143 tackles each season from 2011-2015. Bowman's ability to stuff the runs lanes are what the Raiders wanted in a linebacker, as their defense has struggled has struggled to stop teams from running the ball. He also has four first-team all-pro honors to add to his resume, which cements how great of a linebacker he has been over his career.

Bowman has struggled the past two seasons after a gruesome leg injury in the 2013 NFC championship game sidelined him for the majority of the 2014 season.

He had played sparingly this season and made headlines when he sat out three drives in the 49ers' loss to the Colts. Bowman was initially going to be traded, but after a meeting with head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch, they honored his request to be released. Bowman fits the Raiders personality as a team: a gritty player who doesn't mind doing a little bit more than the opposition to get a win.

Band-aid solution?

The Raiders plan to implement Bowman into the defensive scheme immediately, as they will need Bowman's skills to fix the Raiders' disappointing defense. Oakland hasn't been able to consistently stop the run, ranking 21st in the NFL in rush yards allowed with 117 yards per game. Bowman's strength in stopping the run is what the Raiders need at the middle linebacker spot.

The Raiders only signed him to a one-year deal, so are they only looking for Bowman to be a band-aid solution? Bowman is still young at the age of 29, so the Raiders might want to consider keeping him for longer than just the remainder of this season.

The Raiders needed something to fix that defense and Bowman might be the perfect solution. His wide range of skills is what the Raiders wanted in a linebacker, but they haven't found that in the players they have on the roster. It will take some time to get used to seeing Bowman in silver and black, but he will be ready to make an impact on the Raiders. The Raiders are 2-4 and looking to turn their season around, hopefully starting with this signing.
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