Raiders News and Rumors: OL, Derek Carr, Agholor, and more
Nicholas Morrow to Test Free Agency?
Linebacker Nicholas Morrow had somewhat of a breakout 2020 campaign. He played 64 percent of the defensive snaps, logging 78 tackles, eight for loss, three sacks, nine pass breakups, and an interception.
Morrow outplayed Cory Littleton, whom the Raiders signed to a three-year, $35.3 million deal last offseason. The latter finished this past campaign with 82 tackles, four for loss without a pass breakup or an interception. He did tackle a lot better down the stretch though.
Littleton will likely open the 2021 season as a starter. The Raiders won’t cut him with $19.1 million in dead money left on his contract. According to Levi Damien of Raiders Wire, Morrow will test the open market.
"“Shortly after the season was over, the Raiders expressed interest in bringing him back,” Damien wrote. “But at this moment, the expectation is that the 25-year-old linebacker will test free agency.”"
Teams in need of a defender who can line up in all three linebacker positions could find a steal in Morrow. Coming out of Greenville, a Division-III school, and playing in a reserve role for most of four pro seasons, the 25-year-old isn’t going to sign a lucrative deal, but he’s confident in his versatile skill set.
“I don’t think that I’m a guy who needs to be limited to just third-down packages,” Morrow said. “You think about what I did this year; I played all three. I play SAM, I play WILL, and I played MIKE. Some games I played all three of them in one game.”
At linebacker, Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski are near locks to return under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. While the financial investment in the former keeps him in the fold, the latter had a solid 2020 campaign, recording 81 tackles, three for loss, four pass breakups, a sack, and an interception.
In the upcoming draft, the Raiders should select a player who’s an ideal fit for the tweener defensive end-linebacker role (LEO) in Bradley’s system—someone with the ability to generate constant pocket pressure and play on all three downs. Tulsa’s Zaven Collins fits that role.
As for Morrow, he’s likely the odd man out. Raiders may see him develop into a starting-caliber player elsewhere, which is a common gripe within the fanbase concerning former players with untapped potential.
Team salary cap numbers and player contracts provided by Over the Cap unless otherwise noted.