Linebacker No Longer an Eye Sore
The Raiders have gone through the bargain bin, dug deep in drafts and even saw one-year wonders like Perry Riley Jr. and NaVorro Bowman pass through at linebacker.
Oddly enough, team brass took a more aggressive Raiders free agency approach to revamp the linebacker group, signing Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton. They’re both under contract for three years making top-10 salaries (annually) among players at the position, per Spotrac. Littleton lists at $11.75 million and Kwiatkoski at $7 million per year.
Littleton will provide solid coverage in the middle of the field. Since 2018, he leads all linebackers in pass breakups (22) to go along with five interceptions. The four-year veteran also has the speed to supplement pocket pressure, logging 7.5 sacks over the last two campaigns. In short, he’s a high-impact playmaker.
With Littleton on the field, we’ll see fewer teams gouge the Raiders’ second line of defense on short-to-intermediate passes.
Kwiatkoski should add solid tackling against the run and short-area coverage ability. At 6’2″, 243 pounds, he will be expected to come downhill on tailbacks and continue to disrupt plays in the backfield.
Last year, with the Chicago Bears, Kwiatkoski recorded a team-leading eight tackles for loss—tied with Khalil Mack.
Maliek Collins and Carl Nassib Are Underrated Additions
Don’t write off Raiders free agency signings Maliek Collins and Carl Nassib as trivial signings that don’t move the needle. Neither player signed a major contract. That’s ideal for rotational assets on the defensive line. The Raiders’ cumulative talent across the front could crumble some offensive lines in the upcoming season.
At 6’7″, 275 pounds, Nassib is built to share reps with Clelin Ferrell on the strong side. He can seal the edge and power through pass protection to bring down quarterbacks. Since 2018, the 26-year-old has logged 12.5 sacks.
Collins can shoot gaps and tear down the pocket from the interior. In Dallas, he flashed under Rod Marinelli’s tutelage, registering 14.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss through four seasons.
Mayock didn’t spend big money on a top edge-rusher on the market. Instead, he added capable pass-rushers in two spots at a far less cost.
Those acquisitions don’t grab headlines, but defensive coordinator Paul Guenther and Marinelli can experiment with several combinations up front, featuring Collins, Nassib, Ferrell, Maxx Crosby, Maurice Hurst, Johnathan Hankins, P.J. Hall and Arden Key.
If Key and Hall are unable to take their respective games to the next level, Nassib and Collins are there to absorb additional snaps.
Nassib and Collins aren’t Yannick Ngakoue and Chris Jones from the fans’ wish list, but together, the two new defensive linemen can make a significant impact.
Investments in Front Seven Help Secondary
In totality, the Raiders should field a respectable front seven that can take some pressure off an unsettled secondary.
With more penetration up front, opposing quarterbacks will have less time to pick apart the pass defense, which allowed the fourth-most touchdowns (33) in 2019. Guenther should aim to apply relentless heat to the pocket with fresh bodies to mask whatever weakness exists in the secondary.
While Raiders fan hope Johnathan Abram returns to the field as a playmaker, quarterbacks will test him because of his inexperience. The defense also has a question mark opposite Trayvon Mullen on the boundary.
The front office didn’t land its top cornerback during the Raiders free agency spending spree or a coverage safety, but the rotation across the defensive line is good enough to quickly muddy the pocket and keep the quarterbacks’ heads on a swivel.
Secondary Unsettled Going into Draft
The Raiders swung and missed on cornerback Byron Jones, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Chris Harris Jr. saw a better fit with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders brass didn’t feel comfortable with the trade price or extension numbers for Darius Slay, per Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group.
In the midst of a run at the top cornerbacks on the market, Las Vegas agreed to terms on a one-year, $6 million deal with Eli Apple.
Apple won’t claim Daryl Worley’s boundary spot on arrival, but he’ll have an opportunity to earn the role. Like Agholor, he’s a former first-round pick (2016) with career ups, downs and some potential, but the cornerback is two years younger (24).
Apple played his best football in the second half of the 2018 campaign with the New Orleans Saints. In the final 10 games of that term, he performed like a complete player, but a shaky 2019 season puts that theory in doubt.
At 6’1″, 203 pounds, Apple has 4.4-second 40-yard straight-line speed, but at times, he’ll lose his way in coverage, negating that foot quickness. Yet, team brass likely covets his length and ability to close throwing windows with good reach.
Apple played his best football in the second half of the 2018 campaign with the New Orleans Saints. In the final 10 games of that term, he performed like a complete player, but a shaky 2019 season puts that theory in doubt.
Other than wide receiver, cornerback stands out as a major need after the Raiders missed on Jones and Harris and then passed on Slay. Expect a training camp battle between Apple and a rookie. Don’t rule out an incoming safety rotating with Erik Harris and Jeff Heath alongside Abram.