The Las Vegas Raiders needed a boost on defense after finishing 19th overall in total yards but at the bottom of the league in efficiency rankings like DVOA. Mike Mayock went to work, working heavily to add players to the defensive side of the ball.
The Raiders kept free agents relatively young this offseason, and it is apparent on the defenders who were signed to contracts. Every defensive player signed at this moment averages the age of 26.3, adding a new wave of young talent. Mayock’s philosophy of making the Raiders younger and fresher to compete in the AFC is coming into fruition.
Even though nobody has played a down, let’s go ahead add grades to the players for good discussion.
LB Cory Littleton, 3 years / $35,250,000
Grade: A+
The sigh of relief from Raiders fans when they finally saw an excellent linebacker sign in free agency. Enter Cory Littleton, who has come to fill the void that has been missing for years in Oakland, a coverage linebacker.
Littleton is one of the best linebackers in pass defense in the league. PFF has graded him at an elite level at a 90.6 the past two seasons with him only trailing Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Littleton will be the new leader in the middle helping shut down tight ends and even can hang with quicker running backs.
This is one of the best signings in years, and the value was even better. Most people projected around $13 to $14 million, and the Raiders landed him 11 million base pay. Fantastic signing for the Raiders.
DE Carl Nassib, 3 years / $25,000,000
Grade: C+
The pass rush improved for the Raiders last season from 13 sacks to 32 but still ranked at the bottom of the league. The Raiders made an addition to that pass rush by picking up former Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib.
Nassib has been a solid edge rusher the last two seasons. He has accumulated 12 sacks combined with 36 total pressures, according to PFF, displaying a high motor that helps him get to the quarterback. He should come in and work himself into the Benson Mayowa role and be an edge rusher on third-down situations in the Raiders scheme.
The main problem with this pick up is the price. $17 million guaranteed for this type of rotational player seems like a reach and makes you wonder if he eats up Ferrrel’s snaps. Hopefully, Nassib can live up to his price tag.
DT Maliek Collins, 1 year / $6,000,000
Grade: A
Interior pass rush is essential when facing a team like the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Raiders were ok in that area. Mayock went looking for an upgrade for the defensive line, and he went with the former Rod Marinelli product Maliek Collins from the Dallas Cowboys.
Collins is a good pass rusher from the interior displaying quickness and the pass rush technique you covet from a defensive tackle. He accumulated 48 pressures according to PFF and is a disruptive force inside. His main issue is run defense, where his technique gets sloppy, and he gets pushed back and driven out of the play.
With the price, they got Collins; this is basically a steal, especially with how quick he signed. Them paying Nassib more than Collins makes you wonder whether his role will be an instant starter or is it to compete with Maurice Hurst. Either way, Collins is a serious upgrade to the defensive line.
LB Nick Kwiatkowski, 3 years / $21,000,000
Grade: B+
One linebacker was not enough for Mayock and for a good reason. This has been a position of need for years, and the Raiders need juice added to the positions. The Raiders looked to a player who will be getting his chance with a full time starting job for the first time. Welcome, Nick Kwiatkoski.
Kwiatkoski has a ton of upside and exhibited he can be a starter for the foreseeable future. One element that will help the Raiders a ton is his blitzing ability. He blitzed 22 times, able to create three sacks, which will be helpful to a defense looking for as much pressure as possible.
The price for Kwaiatkosi wasn’t that high, especially for a projected starter who is this young. It probably keeps the Raiders from adding a linebacker in the first round and opens up doubling up on a wide receiver in the first round.
CB Eli Apple 1 year / $6,000,000
Grade: C
The Raiders’ secondary has been a weakness for a while as well and needed to be addressed. While Raiders fans were begging for Darius Slay, the front office thought that the price was too steep. They decided to go with former first-round pick Eli Apple.
Apple was a bust for the New York Giants but resurrected his career in New Orleans. His 2018 was very good, where he gave a passing rating of 74.4 and looked like a different player. 2019 was a different story with the former top-ten pick where he revered to a passing rating allowed of 100.9, which is very concerning.
We don’t know the pay for Apple to see the value that Mayock used to land the cornerback. We will have to wait for those numbers until later. However, the Raiders are hoping the player from 2018 shows up on the field.
FS Jeff Heath, 2 years / $6,000,000
Grade: B
The Raiders and Dallas Cowboys continue to swap coaches and players. From the special team’s coach to Rod Marinelli, the connection stays strong between the two programs. That is why the addition of former Cowboys safety Jeff Heath was no surprise as a pick up for the Raiders.
Heath is the oldest veteran pick up for the Raiders, who will be 28 when the season starts. Heath is known to Raiders fans as the man who forced Derek Carr to fumble the ball out of the end zone in 2017. But Heath is a functional safety who is never out of place and brings intelligence to defense if he sees the field early.
Heath is also a help an in special teams and will be a presence on punt coverage and kick coverage. He is an upgrade over the current safety group and brings familiarity and knowledge to what the Raiders want to do on defense.
