When Denzel Perryman signed with the Houston Texans in free agency, the Las Vegas Raiders lost their best linebacker, but the unit may have at least one diamond in the rough.
In March, the Raiders signed linebacker Robert Spillane to a two-year, $7 million contract. They waited until the sixth round of the draft to add a linebacker, though team brass had some interest in Drew Sanders (h/t NBC Sports’ Peter King), who went to the Denver Broncos in the third round.
General manager Dave Ziegler hasn’t shown the urgency to invest premium resources in the linebacker position. Instead, the Raiders have put some faith in a young inexperienced group.
At practices, Divine Deablo has worn the green dot on his helmet, which is designated for the quarterback of the defense. Going into his third season with 13 starts on his resume, Deablo is responsible for relaying calls from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to his teammates and getting guys lined up in the right spots before the snap.
Head coach Josh McDaniels isn’t concerned about Deablo’s inexperience and highlighted the 24-year-old linebacker’s growth.
“Divine’s grown literally every week since I’ve seen him and known him,” McDaniels said to reporters. “He works really hard at the game of football. I think he’s embraced this year as a year that is a growth year for him, not only on the field in terms of what he does on the field, but also in how he can impact others. And I think that’s something that you see from him every day.”
Deablo spoke about his confidence as the difference-maker between his second and third seasons.
“I’m a lot more confident than I was last year,” Deablo said. “I was the new kid on the block. I was nervous. It was my first year in the system. Now, I’m comfortable. I’ve been doing it for a while now, so I’m ready.”
Last season, he started in the first eight games and then suffered a forearm injury that derailed his campaign. With added bulk and a little more swagger, he’s a potential breakout player this year. The Raiders absolutely need him to make a third-year leap because of his expanded responsibilities.
Deablo could’ve taken quality snaps in the Las Vegas Raiders’ first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers to get used to his role, but the team opted to keep him on the sideline. However, the Raiders had a good look at a few linebackers who may push Spillane for snaps in passing situations. Last year, he struggled in pass defense, allowing a 109.2 passer rating in coverage.
Amari Burney shows disruptive qualities
Amari Burney had the most impressive performance among the Raiders’ young linebackers. He recorded four tackles (three solo), a sack, and a pass breakup that should’ve been an interception.
Burney demonstrated his ability to support the run defense and flashed the quickness to close on a sack near the line of scrimmage. Moreover, 49ers quarterbacks targeted him three times, and he allowed one catch for 12 yards, per Pro Football Focus.
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Burney would’ve been the talk of the Las Vegas Raiders defense if he hauled in an errant pass that hit his hands for an interception. Though overall, he flashed all over the field and looks like a sixth-round pick who could crack the 53-man roster.
Typically, late-round or undrafted linebackers earn spots on special teams before they’re able to see the field with the defense. Burney has the same pathway, but he could play on third downs because of his ability to stay in stride with pass-catchers over the middle and in the seams.
Darien Butler starts Year 2 on the right track
Darien Butler made his presence felt with three tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup. According to Pro Football Focus, he missed a tackle but played well in limited coverage situations.
Last year, Butler made the final roster after a solid offseason, though he played most of his snaps on special teams, taking the field for only two percent of available defensive snaps. If Butler hangs around for another year, he could see more opportunities as a weak-side linebacker.
Keep in mind that Raiders linebacker coach Antonio Pierce served as Arizona State’s co-defensive coordinator (2020-2021) while Butler made strides with the program. Butler has someone on staff who’s watched his progressions and can tap into his potential.
If you’ve followed reports out of training camp, the Las Vegas Raiders defense has forced a ton of turnovers during practices:
Curtis Bolton brings ball-hawk to Las Vegas Raiders 2023 defense
Burney and cornerback Duke Shelley each dropped an interception; Curtis Bolton brought the defensive unit’s ball-hawking mentality from the practice field to live game action. Late in the third quarter, Bolton went after rookie third-round tight end Cameron Latu, jarring the ball loose for a fumble, and cornerback Azizi Hearn recovered it.
Turning 28 in December, Bolton isn’t a young linebacker, but he could contribute a lot more on defense in the upcoming season. Pierce talked about Bolton’s increased role as an off-ball linebacker and his communication with teammates last week (h/t The Athletic’s Vic Tafur).
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“Curtis is an athletic freak,” Pierce said. “He can do a lot of things that you like to see from a linebacker. I think the one thing about him is being consistent each and every day — that’s what we ask all of our guys to do. But from a physical standpoint, there is not much that he can’t do as a linebacker. He is playing more off the ball now and he is adapting to that, and also becoming more vocal back there.”
Burney, Butler, and Bolton may not excite the fanbase as far as alternatives to Deablo and Spillane at linebacker, but they all have a chance to audition for a key spot in the rotation. Luke Masterson and undrafted rookie Drake Thomas are also in the mix.
If Graham pulls Spillane off the field on passing downs, Burney may have the best shot to match up against tight ends and running backs because of his speed at 6-foot-2, 228 pounds.
As a former safety, Burney could get some snaps in nickel and dime packages, but first, he must make the 53-man roster. The Florida product will have another opportunity to impress the coaching staff in Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
While Ziegler has shown the willingness to make a good deal, he may want to see what comes out of his current linebacker group in the preseason before making an aggressive move for a starting-caliber player.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
