Heading into the 2020 offseason, you can make a strong case that linebacker, not wide receiver, was the team’s biggest weaknesses. For years, the Raiders struggled to find even adequate linebacker play, shuffling in aging veterans who were well past their prime.
However, the Raiders decided to change that this offseason as they made significant investments into their linebacker unit for the first time in several years. Their biggest prize was Cory Littleton, who made the Pro Bowl in 2018 for the Rams. He’s regarded as one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and is just entering his prime at age 26.
But one player that isn’t getting enough attention is another free-agent signing in Nick Kwiatkoski. A part-time player for the Bears, Kwiatkoski is excited to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career. Here is what the former Chicago linebacker had to say about landing with the Raiders in free agency via Tashan Reed of The Athletic:
“I’m excited to see what I can do as the full-time guy. I’ve been through a lot of different changes, position changes and ups and downs in Chicago. So, to come in on Day 1 and be able to have a full season under my belt and show what I can do, I’m excited about it.”
Kwiatkoski has started just 22 games in his NFL career, but he has been highly productive whenever he is on the field. In his interview with Reed, Kwiatkoski revealed that he will be the team’s starting middle linebacker in 2020, likely wearing the “green dot” helmet as he will be calling the defensive plays.
Having Littleton as the weakside linebacker will certainly give the Raiders more speed on defense. But adding Kwiatkoski is one of their most underrated moves of the offseason. Expect the former Bears linebacker to only get better as he now has a full-time starting job on this defense.
