The linebacker position for the Raiders received a near-complete overhaul this offseason. Gone are Tahir Whitehead, Vontaze Burfict, and Will Compton and replacing their starting spots are Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski.
Often times the Raiders line up with just two linebackers. Sometimes they lined up with three linebackers, depending on if they feel like they have the personnel to do it. Two returning linebackers will once again battle for that spot.
Marquel Lee vs. Nicholas Morrow
Position: Weakside linebacker
Others: Kyle Wilber, Tanner Muse, Justin Phillips, Ukeme Eligwe, Javin White, Nick Usher
For the first few weeks of last season, the starters were Vontaze Burfict, Tahir Whitehead, and Marquel Lee. Then in two weeks’ time, both Lee and Burfict were lost. Lee was placed on injured reserve and Burfict was suspended for the rest of the season.
With the linebacking corps depleted, the Raiders fielded Whitehead and Morrow the majority of the time, until they added Will Compton and he familiarized himself with the defense. It happened at the same time as Lee returned from IR. Then it was back to three linebackers.
Despite Morrow being the fourth option at linebacker last season, they showed faith in him by putting a second-round RFA tender on him this offseason, ensuring he would be back with the team.
Prior to last season, Morrow had developed a reputation for being able to play well in coverage. And he finished the 2018 season strong with five starts late in the season.
I recall one rep in training camp last year in which Paul Guenther had Morrow and Brandon Marshall both drop into coverage. Marshall got burnt on the first play and the next play Morrow covered his man perfectly. It seemed like a defining moment. But that sticky coverage didn’t show up much on the field in Morrow’s eight starts.
Lee has been knocking on the door as a starter for three years. He started the first six games of his rookie season until the Raiders brought in NaVorro Bowman. After not bringing back Bowman, Lee was once again called upon to start after the failed attempt to see if Derrick Johnson had anything left in the tank.
Prior to last season, when Lee was lined up at WILL linebacker, he had been playing MIKE. While Morrow has been exclusively a WILL in his three seasons in Oakland.
Lee has started 19 career games while Morrow has started 18 games. Morrow has done quite a bit more with his starts. He has 176 career tackles to Lee’s 104. Morrow has 12 tackles for a loss to Lee’s six. And Morrow has 11 pass breakups to Lee’s three.
An added wrinkle to this is whoever loses this battle may be sweating out making the roster. Both have done well on special teams, which raises their value, but the team drafted Tanner Muse in the third round to fulfill those duties until they think he is ready to step in at linebacker. Kyle Wilber is a special teams captain and reserve strongside linebacker.
They won’t keep four backup linebackers, so the battle between Morrow and Lee could be a difference of potentially starting and not making the team at all.
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