The Las Vegas Raiders knew they were in need of upgrades in the linebacking corps.
They were able to find a pair of starters on the first day of free agency that just so happened to be old acquaintances.
Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, college teammates at Georgia, both agreed to deals with the Raiders to instantly upgrade the group.
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Both players are known for their leadership as much as their talent and they will continue to put their mark on the new defense as training camp starts to ramp up on Wednesday.
The Review-Journal will count down to the opening session by looking at a different position group each day, continuing with the linebackers today.
Roster
Walker, Dean, Tommy Eichenberg, Cody Lindenberg, Brennan Jackson, Segun Olubi, Xavian Sorey Jr., Cameron McGrone, Chris Thomas
Outlook
Walker and Dean will probably be on the field quite a bit.
They are clearly the top two names on the depth chart and will be heavily-relied upon in the new defense that is being designed and installed by first-time coordinator Rob Leonard.
That doesn’t mean they will have defined positions. The beauty of what Leonard is trying to design is that the pieces will often be interchangeable. Walker and Dean are a big part of that.
Both have played the “Mike” linebacker role in the past and are capable of calling defenses, but both can also be effective pass rushers. Expect Dean to be deployed in the middle and wear the green dot as the play caller to start, which would allow Walker to really utilize his athleticism.
Walker served in that role with the Packers, however, so he is also a candidate and should be able to step in seamlessly should Dean be unavailable at any point. Their relationship should be very beneficial to building chemistry and setting a tone for what Leonard wants as the identity of his defense.
They will mostly play the inside spots, particularly when the Raiders are in their new 3-4 base look. The outside linebacker spots will largely be handled by some of the edge defenders highlighted in the defensive line preview, giving Leonard the option of getting very creative in both his coverage schemes and blitz packages.
But there are other options, especially when they want to go a bit smaller and faster.
Jackson spent last season in the Raiders organization and though he didn’t see the field much on defense, his skill set may be better utilized in this system.
Olubi came over from the Colts where he was a special teams dynamo. That will once again be his main role, but Olubi will also look to state his case for more time on defense during camp.
Eichenberg and Lindenberg, who also saw most of their time on special teams last year, may get the first chances behind Dean and Walker in the middle. Lindenberg, in fact, saw plenty of OTA reps with Dean mostly on the sideline.
Both former Big Ten thumpers would be well-served to improve a bit in coverage in order to see their reps increase in the regular season.
McGrone, a 2021 fifth-round pick of the Patriots, has appeared in 27 career games with the Colts and Browns.
Linebackers coach Ronell Williams offered praise for the impression McGrone had already made in the room despite not signing as a free agent until May.
The Michigan alum is coming off a torn Achilles, however, so there may still be a ramping up period.
Sorey was a redshirt freshman on a national championship team at Georgia with Walker and Dean. He signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas and may be more of a long-term project. Sorey can be very effective against the run, though he has been an inconsistent tackler at times. Pass coverage is where he needs the most work.
Thomas could be the real developmental piece of the group. He is a late developer who burst on the scene with a very productive final season at Maine. Thomas was very good at attacking ball carriers in the box and reacting to his reads, particularly in the run game.
His instincts and prototypical size will need to be enough to overcome his limited physical tools.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
