When talking about the Las Vegas Raiders' linebacker corps this offseason, it was easy to begin with the additions of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. And rightfully so, as these two are dramatic upgrades over what the Silver and Black had in the center of their defense last season.
But lost in those conversations was the potential growth of the young linebackers on the roster, Cody Lindenberg and Tommy Eichenberg. That was, until Dean missed time this spring, giving Lindenberg the kind of runway he needed to make a good impression. And make a good impression he did.
With Dean back during training camp, though, the hype train lost a bit of steam. To be fair, there wasn't a whole lot reported about the linebacker corps in general. But Lindenberg is starting to make his presence known in a major way once again, just in time to make a big statement in this week's game.
Raiders' Cody Lindenberg can put a stamp on strong offseason vs. Texans
Klint Kubiak was non-committal about playing the Raiders' starters during the second preseason game against the Houston Texans on Thursday after the two teams enjoyed a solid joint practice session on Tuesday. That would leave Lindenberg to eat up plenty of reps with Walker and Dean out.
It's a good thing, then, that the second-year linebacker has been picking up some momentum again lately after a fairly quiet start to the summer. So, Lindenberg should be more than ready to take on this potential challenge, and his confidence should be high.
Before the first preseason game, Lindenberg intercepted a pass and made nice plays against the run during the team's practice at Allegiant Stadium. He followed that up, of course, with a stout showing against the Arizona Cardinals.
In the preseason opener, Lindenberg played 21 defensive snaps and made two run stops, tallying four total tackles and two solo. He wasn't targeted in eight coverage reps and turned in the second-highest grade from Pro Football Focus for the Las Vegas defense in the contest.
He also got tons of run on special teams, recording snaps with four different units. And Lindenberg didn't rest on his laurels at all during joint practice with the Texans, as he notched another pick at the end of the workout against Houston's Davis Mills, one of the NFL's best backups.
Riding all of that momentum into Week 2 of the preseason is great for Lindenberg. But riding that into a matchup that could be consequential for him and his role is even better, as the sophomore linebacker has the opportunity to establish himself as LB3 with another strong showing.
Eichenberg won't go away quietly, and the Raiders have several other linebackers on the team who can mix it up on special teams and make a case to stick around on this roster or on the practice squad. But Lindenberg is sitting pretty and is in the driver's seat for the first rotational spot.
After a strong spring, fans may have been disappointed not to be hearing more about Lindenberg this summer. But again, not much had been reported on the linebackers. Well, now it is, and it sounds like Lindenberg is making plays again and building momentum before a significant preseason contest.
Just in time.
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