Las Vegas Raiders: One question for each defensive position in 2021
Linebackers: Can Cory Littleton return to form?
One of the biggest disappointments for the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders was linebacker Cory Littleton. Before joining Las Vegas, Littleton had a great career with the Los Angeles Rams. In his two best seasons there, Littleton had a combined 259 tackles, five interceptions, 7.5 sacks, and made the Pro Bowl once.
In his first year with Vegas, Littleton looked absolutely lost. This was likely due to Paul Guenther’s system, which is notorious for being overly complicated and confusing. If Gus Bradley uses a more efficient system and uses Littleton’s strengths, which seems to be the case, then Littleton should be able to bounce back.
Since Bradley tends to run a 4-2-5, Bradley will likely be used in a lot of different ways. He’s a great tackler, so he’ll be useful in stopping the runners from taking big chunks of yardage. He is also one of the few linebackers who excels in pass coverage. There’s a chance he splits some time with Nick Morrow, who had a breakout season in 2020.
Even if that’s the case, he should have a much-improved season in 2021 now that he will be playing in a new system.
Answer: Yes, he can. If it’s not right away this season, he’ll start taking steps in the right direction.