Raiders could go MLB by committee this season
The Oakland Raiders have made a number of upgrades to the positions most in the need of an upgrade this offseason. Cornerback, pass rusher, offensive guard and safety were all upgraded after proving to be huge positions of need. But as much as we have talked about how great the offseason was for the Raiders, one position remains in limbo: Middle linebacker.
Heading into the offseason, middle linebacker was considered by many to be one of the biggest areas of need. After the failed experiment of Curtis Lofton, the Raiders only had a youngster with very little experience in Ben Heeney. But as free agency came and went, the Raiders only added a deep depth and special teams player named Darren Bates, who may not even make the final 53 man roster.
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Then the draft came and went with the Raiders only investing a sixth round pick in a guy who is far from a true middle linebacker in Cory James. A former edge rusher who was moved to middle linebacker in his final years in college, James is far from a finished piece. Plus, his biggest deficiency is the same deficiency of Heeney, he isn’t great in coverage.
So, where does that leave the position? Many believe that Heeney will be the unquestioned starter but I am not so sure. Rather, I think the middle linebacker position could end up being the same as the rest of the front seven: One massive rotation.
Rather than having Heeney play all three downs, I imagine the Raiders will have Heeney in on early downs where he can pick through the line and stuff the run game. On later downs, I could see the Raiders bringing in James or Neiron Ball. James has rushing experience and can blitz from the middle while Ball was one of if not the best on the team in covering tight ends last season. And then there is Malcolm Smith, a guy who may see his time at outside linebacker cut down due to the addition of Bruce Irvin, but could also see more time on the field by getting in the mix at middle linebacker, where he could probably play all three downs.
The beauty of the Raiders defense is its versatility. The fact that we don’t really know what the defense will look like is a huge advantage for them. From week to week, offensive coordinators will have difficulties game planning not knowing for sure what they could see formation wise on any given down. It’s a brilliant plan scheme wise, but also has the added effect of diminishing the one area of the front seven that could use an upgrade.
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