Littleton signing to help Raiders fill huge void
Once a weakness, LB now area of strength
Aposition of weakness is all of a sudden a potential area of strength for the Raiders, who landed the top linebacker on the market Tuesday, signing Los Angeles Rams free agent Cory Littleton. Coupled with the addition of former Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on Monday, the
Raiders have executed a nearly complete overhaul of a position that was a major liability in 2019.
The acquisitions — both of which can become official on
Wednesday — are part of an ambitious Raiders offseason that has seen them secure new players at rapid speed.
Littleton headlined an active second day of free agency on Tuesday that saw the Raiders add three
former Dallas Cowboys in tight end Jason Witten, defensive tackle Maliek Collins and safety Jeff Heath and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Carl Nassib. They join Kwiatkoski and former Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, both of whom agreed to contracts with the Raiders on Monday.
Witten, 37, returned from his oneyear retirement last year to catch 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns. The 16-year veteran is expected to join Darren Waller and Foster Moreau, who is coming off a knee injury, to form a deep tight end group.
He also will be a veteran leader in a young locker room. That mentoring role could be a crucial element as the Raiders face an uncertain and likely condensed offseason due to the coronavirus.
Collins, 25, has experience playing under new Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who served as the Cowboys defensive coordinator and defensive line coach from
2014 to 2019. Collins had four sacks, 21 quarterback pressures and 10 quarterback hits last year. Over his four-year career, Collins has 14½ sacks, 20 tackles for losses and 40 quarterback hits.
The interior push he creates is an element the Raiders prioritized this offseason and should help create edge pass-rush opportunities for young defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell.
The Raiders added more pass rush ability in reeling in Nassib, 26, who has 12½ sacks over the last two years and 18 for his career over 59 games and 32 starts.
Heath, 28, is a three-year starter who can play both safety positions and will join Johnathan Abram on the back end of the secondary.
Littleton was the big catch on Tuesday, though, and securing him was a coup that created a buzz throughout the Raiders’ building.
Undrafted out of Washington in 2015, Littleton has risen from a special teams star to one of the NFL’S best all-around linebackers. A sideline-to-sideline defender who can also rush the passer, Littleton registered
134 tackles last year — seventh best in the NFL for linebackers — while fanning on just five tackles.
His 3.6 missed tackle percentage was the best in the NFL among linebackers with 60 or more tackles.
Littleton is also an elite pass-cover linebacker and was fifth-best at that position with nine passes defended in 2019. He has 23 over the last two seasons.
Littleton has been connected to the Raiders all offseason and was a priority target when the free agent tampering period opened on Monday. League speculation indicated Littleton was seeking a contract with an annual average salary in the $14 million to $15 million range, but the Raiders were able to secure him for $36 million over three seasons.
Combined with Kwiatkoski’s three-year, $21 million deal, the Raiders were able to fill two critical positions at an annual yearly salary rate of $19 million.
The Raiders entered free agency with roughly $55 million to spend under the salary cap and have an estimated $18 million remaining, so there is still room to make upgrades.
Denver Broncos shutdown corner Chris Harris has been linked to the Raiders for some time, now more than ever with Byron Jones leaving the Dallas Cowboys for a record-breaking contract with the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders made a big push for Jones, but the ultimate price tag was beyond their comfort zone. Harris is expected to be a more reasonable get, although sitting atop the cornerback market now creates a demand.
The Raiders also have been linked to New York Jets wide receiver
Robby Anderson, who would help address the deep threat they were missing last year. The Raiders will certainly look to the draft for wide receiver help — and sitting with the 12th overall pick they could be choosing among Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs and Oklahoma’s Ceedee Lamb.
They also could still look to add a veteran receiver through free agency at the right price.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Vinnybonsignore ontwitter.