Five Raiders who should be replaced as the team heads to Las Vegas
By Nick Ellis
Tahir Whitehead
Tahir Whitehead has been a solid player for the Raiders the last two seasons, but his role needs to be reduced moving forward. Yes, Whitehead led the Raiders in tackles last year and is leading the team by a significant margin this year, but that is mainly because of the role he plays and the amount of time he spends on the field.
Whitehead has not been good for the Raiders in coverage, and although he has a ton of tackles, he misses a lot of tackles, as well. The Raiders need a newer, faster linebacker that cannot only be consistent in their tackling but can also cover tight ends and receiver on crossing routes.
The Raiders have not had an elite linebacker in a long time, and it is about time they tried to get one. If the Raiders draft a rookie linebacker early, he can lead the defense, and Whitehead can still play a significant role in the defense, just with a reduced role.