Las Vegas Raiders should attack linebacker spot in free agency and draft

The Las Vegas Raiders have a dire need at the linebacker spots entering the new league year, and they should attack the position in free agency, and the draft.

With the news the Las Vegas Raiders have cut linebacker Tahir Whitehead, it only facilitates the need for new linebackers even more in Vegas. This is common knowledge, and even with Whitehead on the field last season, the defense was still in major need of upgrades at each linebacker position (his included).

Either way, the Raiders are now without a starter at this position, marking for the first time in quite some time the Raiders might make the linebacker positions a top priority.

It’s not anything new at this point, last season just like the previous one before, the Raiders absolutely were horrendous at the linebacker position. The Raiders have not had any stability at any of the linebacker positions since the trade of All-Pro Khalil Mack.

So now here we are in 2020 with a new city in the background, tons of cap space and two first-round picks. Now is the time to attack this position of need.

Let’s take a look at what is up first, Free Agency. Now for linebackers, the Raiders have no excuse not to dip their toe in this talent pool. The free agency class is stacked with the likes of names like Cory Littleton, Joe Schobert, Jamie Collins or even a defensive end-linebacker hybrid like Kyle Van Noy. The point is the talent is there, and no longer should the Raiders continue to ignore this position of need while making major upgrades at other positions.

With that being said the Raiders are sitting pretty with two picks in the first-round. One being at 12 and another at 19, With a deep class of linebackers, the Raiders have a chance of selecting among Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons (somewhat unlikely I know) or Kenneth Murray of Oklahoma or even LSU LB Patrick Queen.

Either way the Raiders go in this draft, they have a very strong chance at snagging one of these talented young linebackers.

A lot of criticism was thrown the way of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, and I am here to tell you some of it, if not all was justifiable, but you can not ignore the fact he did not have much to use in terms of the linebacking corps. Whitehead being the leader of this group was very slow for the position, Nicholas Morrow was never expected to be a superstar by any means, and Will Compton although very competent, was not going to be the absolute difference maker to win games.

I would touch on Vontaze Burfict but that is neither here nor there at this point. The point in all of this is, despite Guenther’s questionable play-calling and shifting around of players out of position, does not mask the fact he had absolutely nothing to work with in terms of linebackers.

Now I know none of this is groundbreaking stuff to Raider Nation, Twitter has been running rampant for months, even during the season last year bringing up such names, but times have changed. With GM Mike Mayock publicly addressing the position as a weakness, and now the abrupt cut of Whitehead, its no more daydreaming for Raider fans, the reality of major change for Las Vegas Raiders and the linebacker position starts today.