There may be no single player Oakland Raiders fans wanted to see re-sign with the team this offseason more than linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Yet, here we are, weeks before training camp and Bowman remains a free agent.

Since the offseason began, the Raiders have signed multiple free-agent linebackers including potential starters in Tahir Whitehead and Derrick Johnson, as well as names like Emmanuel Lamur and Kyle Wilber. Jon Gruden and company also spent a sixth-round pick on former Washington linebacker Azeem Victor, but following all these moves, the battle for the No. 3 linebacker job has remained up in the air.

While second-year pros Marquel Lee and Nicholas Morrow have gotten their fair share of praise, Steve Corkran of Raiders Snake Pit has officially resurfaced the idea of a Bowman-Raiders reunion.

The quotes come courtesy of Raiders Beat.

“Head coach Jon Gruden loves veteran players, and Morrow and Lee are anything but,” Corkran stated. “Bowman is an ideal fit for Gruden and his vision for what he wants on the field when it comes to his defense. Time is on Gruden’s side right now, given all his linebackers made it through the offseason workouts and organized team activities without injury. He can play up how good his linebackers look for weeks to come, but sooner or later, he is going to have to decide whether he truly wants one of those guys on the field for the regular-season opener.”

It's an incredibly valid point and honestly, the Raiders working out a deal to bring back Bowman would make a ton of sense. While both Lee and Morrow are certainly talented and are likely more than capable of winning that third linebacker job, there are even questions beyond that. Johnson is 35 years old and it's unknown exactly what he'll have left in the tank this coming season, or if he can play a high number of snaps.

I do believe Johnson is capable of putting together a solid season, but there's no denying that Bowman is an upgrade to the third and final linebacker spot as things currently stand. It'll be interesting to see how Gruden and defensive coordinator Paul Guenther opt to handle this, but unless they are really fond of either Lee or Morrow (or potentially both) they have to at least be tossing around the idea of working out a deal with Bowman.

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Time will tell, but Bowman tied for the team lead in tackles last season with 89 while playing just 10 games, and also added five tackles for loss, two passes defensed, one sack and an interception. The talent is there, and the fit could be close to ideal for both sides.