As expected, the Raiders were one of the most aggressive teams in free agency this offseason. With several holes on defense and a bunch of cap space, Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden went to work.
The team signed numerous starting-caliber players, such as Cory Littleton, Maliek Collins, and Carl Nassib. But the one move that continues to go under the radar was the signing of former Bears’ linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski.
In a recent article by Anthony Trash of ESPN, Kwiatkoski was named one of the most underrated signings of free agency. Praising the fit with Littleton, Trash believes this could be one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL. Take a look at why ESPN believes this move makes so much sense for the Raiders:
Kwiatkoski was mostly a rotational player in Chicago, seeing starting action only in the event of an injury. Yet outside of his rookie year, he has looked like a starting-caliber off-the-ball linebacker in the NFL when given the opportunity to be on the field. Since 2017, Kwiatkoski has produced a PFF grade that ranks him among the 15 best off-the-ball linebackers. He is one of six who has produced a 70-plus grade as a run defender, as a pass-rusher and in coverage over that span. He has generated the ninth-most WAR per snap over that stretch, too.
With a bigger role and playing next to one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Littleton, Kwiatkoski could take a major step forward in 2020. He’s already an incredibly well-rounded linebacker, and with more snaps, his game should improve.
Between the Littleton and Kwiatkoski signings, the Raiders’ defense is already significantly better in 2020. Look for these two to completely revamp the Raiders’ defense and bring more speed to that side of the ball next season.
