Comparing Oakland Raiders Linebackers to past greats

Dec 14, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown as Oakland Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong (57) tackles during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 31-13. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ray-Ray Armstrong – Miami

#57 – Ht. 6-3 – Wt. 220

Of the young linebackers on the Raiders, the one with the least fanfare and some of the biggest upside besides Mack and Moore is Ray-Ray Armstrong. Once a highly touted player at Miami, this converted safety who idolized Sean Taylor, hit a few bumps on his way to NFL stardom.

Kicked off the Hurricanes team in 2012, and too slow to really play safety at the next level, he was selected by the St. Louis Rams to play LB. Playing mostly on Special Teams, Ray-Ray was an effective coverage player. Armstrong’s aggressiveness however, led to many personal fouls that ultimately got him released. Oakland signed him to the team and he recorded a few of those for the Silver and Black as well. During this offseason though he has been making a name for himself among the new coaching regime.

Working hard to play to “just past the whistle” instead of well beyond it, Ray-Ray has a solid chance of making a name for himself. Ray-ray is another “Romo” clone, willing to hit with everything he has, he just needs to reign in his enthusiasm a little. His position battle with Malcolm Smith (and maybe Sio Moore) should be one of the most interesting battles of the summer.

Next: Raiders Comparisons: The Rookies