One of the biggest moves the Raiders made this offseason was finally investing in their linebacker corps. For years, the position has been their Achilles’ heel as they could never find competent play in the middle of their defense.
The Raiders thought they had that position fixed when they signed both Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski in free agency. But with Kwiatowski already missing two games due to a pectoral injury, he hasn’t been able to contribute nearly at all. However, it’s Littleton who has been the biggest disappointment on the roster.
Through three games, Littleton is the team’s lowest-graded player (29.8), according to Pro Football Focus. He ranks 73rd out of 76 qualifying linebackers in his overall grade, and has been among the league’s worst defenders in coverage. The ironic thing is that Littleton was dominant in coverage during his time with the Rams and that is why he signed such a big contract with Las Vegas.
The Raiders need a lot more out of Littleton for him to justify his contract. He will get his chance to prove his worth next week against a red-hot Buffalo Bills’ offense.
