New roster addition for the Raiders, defensive tackle Corey Liuget, joined an already crowded position group. But it appears he’ll be in Oakland to stay.
A veteran of eight NFL seasons, all with the Chargers, Liuget says his strength as a player lines up well with the Raiders’ defensive philosophy, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden agrees, saying, “Liuget is a legitimate 3-technique and can also be a penetrator as a nose … he gives us another veteran player with inside pass-rush ability. We are thrilled to have him,” according to the Raiders’ official website.
Here’s footage of Liuget penetrating from a 3-technique position, courtesy of the Raiders official Twitter account.
The acquisition of Liuget, who has 24 career sacks, spells trouble for someone on the Raiders defensive line. Another late addition, defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, has played well but is now even more on the roster bubble than before. Yet another newcomer, undrafted rookie defensive tackle Anthony Rush, has impressed but could be a victim of the numbers game.
Difficult decisions for the Raiders await. But acquiring a player of Liuget’s stature this late in the shaping of their roster is a win for the club. He played just six games last year due to a quad injury and was left unsigned by the Chargers. But he took his time to rehab, and he waited for the perfect team to sign with.
