Littleton gives further boost to defense, veteran Witten adds depth at tight end
The Raiders reeled in an agreement with linebacker Cory Littleton on Tuesday during the NFL free agency negotiating period, a source told the Bay Area News Group.
Littleton, a four-year veteran with the Rams, started all 32 games over the past two seasons with 259 tackles with 22 four interceptions and 22 passes defensed.
Combined with Monday’s agreement with Nick Kwiatkoski, the Raiders have effectively revamped their linebackers with two potential playmakers at a position of great need.
Players cannot officially sign contracts until today.
They are also expected to sign Hall of
Fame-bound tight end Jason Witten, according to a team source. And they weren’t done raiding the Cowboys. The added Maliek Collins, a defensive tackle who started all 16 games and played under Rod Marinelli — currently the defensive line coach for the Raiders — and safety Jeff Heath.
The pending acquisition of Heath was reported by ESPN and confirmed by a team source. Later, a team source confirmed an agreement with veteran defensive and Carl Nassib.
According to NFL Media, Littleton’s three-year deal contains $22 million in guaranteed money, $36 million in all and averages $11.75 million per year.
Littleton, 26, was an undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2016 who rose as an outside and then inside linebacker under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. At 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, Littleton can defend the run but is considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL when it comes to defending the pass.
“I don’t know that any linebacker is playing as well as he is in both areas,” Phillips told the Los Angeles Times in 2018. “He’s way ahead of everybody in the league as far as pass coverage.”
Pass defense has been an issue for Raiders linebackers seemingly forever, and the AFC West includes tight ends such as Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Hunter Henry (Chargers) and Noah Fant (Broncos).
According to @sportsradar, Littleton’s 26 passes defended are the most in the NFL over the past three years. His six interceptions over the past three years is one more than all Raiders linebackers combined during that span.
Witten, who didn’t play in 2018 after succeeding Jon Gruden as the analyst for “Monday Night Football,” came back last season and caught 63 passes for 529 yards and four TDs. Going into his 17th season, Witten, who turned 37 on May 6 has 1,215 receptions for 12,977 yards and 72 touchdowns.
Witten’s receptions rank fourth in NFL history and second among tight ends, trailing only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
Gruden loves deploying multiple tight ends, and Witten even at his advanced age
fits in with leading receiver Darren Waller and secondyear player Foster Moreau, caught 21 passes for 174 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie fourth-round draft pick out of LSU. According to ESPN, Witten can make up to $4.75 million in 2020. Also on the roster is core special teams player and occasional tight end Derek Carrier.
Waller caught 90 passes for 1,145 yards in a breakout season while in recovery from issues of substance abuse. Having Witten and Moreau will allow the Raiders to use Waller flexed from the line of scrimmage and as more of a downfield threat. It also affords the Raiders the opportunity to be patient from Moreau’s recovery from a torn ACL.
• Collins, 24, is a 6-foot-2, 310-pound defensive tackle who was a third-round
draft pick out of Nebraska in 2016. Collins has played in 61 games with 55 starts and can provide an interior push with 14 ½ career sacks. He will fit in an interior defensive line rotation that includes Johnathan Hankins, Maurice Hurst and P.J. Hall.
• Heath, 28, was the starting strong safety for Dallas for the past three seasons. Undrafted out of Saginaw Valley State, Heath (6-foot1, 212 pounds) made a name for himself on special teams under current Raiders special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia before becoming a starter on defense under Marinelli. His acquisition would seem to rule out a return by free agent safety Karl Joseph.
• Nassib, 26, is a fouryear veteran who played the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
after two years with Cleveland.
With Littleton and Kwiatkoski aboard to get the majority of the snaps, and given that on more downs than not the Raiders will play with two linebackers, it could alter their thinking for the NFL draft April 23-25.
Most mock drafts had the Raiders, who have the No. 12 and 19 picks in the first round, selecting either Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray or LSU’s Patrick Queen with the second of those two picks. The Raiders will be looking hard at wide receivers at No. 12, with Jerry Jeudy of Alabama and CeeDee Lamb of Oklahoma in play.
As for No. 19, the Raiders could look more at safeties and corners now with Littleton and Kwiatkoski in the fold.