2019 Oakland Raiders Position Preview: Linebackers

Key Acquisitions

Oakland made it a goal to upgrade the linebacker position in the offseason and they did so with the signings of Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall. Even if the Raiders were to re-sign those from last season who finished the year strong, the linebacker unit was in desperate need of a veteran upgrade.

It’s no surprise that Burfict finds himself wearing the Silver and Black since he’s been linked with Guenther ever since their days in Cincinnati. Paul Guenther effectively built that defense and once he departed for Oakland alongside Jon Gruden, the impact on the field was not the same without these two paired together.

Now with Burfict, Guenther has his linebacker to man the middle, despite however controversial his playing history has been.

The Raiders not only managed to sign a productive player in Brandon Marshall, but they also did so at the expense of their division rival Denver Broncos. It was just two seasons ago that Marshall started all 16 games, recording a team-high 106 combined tackles alongside a career-high three sacks.

It won’t be vital to duplicate that success in Oakland, but he’ll provide the necessary experience that was lacking at the position a year ago.