Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders LB Cory Littleton.
One of the biggest free agent signings the Las Vegas Raiders made in recent years was landing linebacker Cory Littleton. The former Los Angeles Rams Pro Bowler was considered one of the best linebackers in the NFL who was elite in pass coverage and at tackling. The Raiders had been a disaster at the position for years and he was supposed to fix that.
However, he never really caught on in Las Vegas and was effectively benched by the end of last season for rookie Divine Deablo. He was then cut before the start of free agency. While Littleton’s Raiders tenure wasn’t great, he’s still just 28-years-old and could be a good fit in the right defense. The Carolina Panthers see him as a possible fit as they’ve decided to sign him to a deal in free agency.
#Panthers agree to terms with Cory Littleton
The deal is for just one season at $2.6 million. That’s a steep drop off from the $11.75 million annually the Raiders were paying him.
The #Panthers are signing LB Cory Littleton to a one-year, $2.6 million deal that includes $2M guaranteed, per source.
Littleton is athletic and versatile so perhaps he can revamp his career in Carolina.
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Nicholas Morrow Lands With Bears
The Raiders are going to be undergoing some changes at linebacker this season. Littleton is off to Carolina while the team also cut Nick Kwiatkoski earlier in free agency. A third Raiders linebacker from last season is set to be playing elsewhere next season. The Chicago Bears announced recently that they’ve signed Nicholas Morrow to a one-year contract.
We have agreed to terms with LB Nicholas Morrow on a one-year contract.
Welcome to the 312, Nicholas! 🐻⬇️
Morrow going to the Bears is a blow to the Raiders. Despite him not playing a single game last season due to injury, the team was keen on bringing him back. According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Las Vegas has “significant interest” in re-signing him.
Hearing the #Raiders have significant interest in bringing back UFA LB Nicholas Morrow. He missed all of 2021 due to injury, but had a breakout 2020 season in both the run and pass game. Would round out what’s currently a thin LB corps following the release of Cory Littleton.
The fact that the new staff wanted to sign him is a testament to his emerging ability. Morrow had a bit of a breakout season in 2020 when he took over at starting middle linebacker. He had 3.0 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in 11 starts last season. If he can stay healthy, the Bears may have found a nice free agent steal.
Raiders Still Have Need at LB
With Kwiatkoski, Littleton and Morrow all moving on, linebacker is becoming a major need for the Raiders. Divine Deablo and Denzel Perryman are the only players who will for sure be on the roster when the season starts. In all likelihood, new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will fun a 3-4 base and use a lot of 4-2-5 packages. That would likely make Maxx Crosby, Chandler Jones, Perryman and Deablo as the four linebackers in 3-4 sets with Crosby and Jones going on the line of scrimmage in 4-2-5 sets.
If Graham likes Perryman and Deablo, then the Raiders just need to add depth at linebacker. They can make that happen in the draft or see what veterans are available. Free agent Kyle Van Noy makes a lot of sense considering his familiarity with the defensive system. Dont’a Hightower would also be a solid addition if the price is right.
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Notable Raiders Free Agent Bust Signs Deal With NFC Team: Report