With the offseason in full swing, the Las Vegas Raiders were among the teams looking to make a splash as they get set to usher in a new era at Allegiant stadium in the 2020 NFL season.
General manager Mike Mayock had not been shy about addressing some of the notable voids on the roster this offseason through free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft. Fortunately, they have more than enough resources in both departments to make it.
The Raiders had plenty of cap space with just over $55 million to work with. It seems they have finally started to put it to use.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Raiders are signing former Los Angeles Rams linebacker Cory Littleton to a three-year contract:
Former #Rams LB Cory Littleton has an agreement to join the #Raiders, source said, on a 3-year deal worth up to $36M. It has a base value of $11.75M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020
Littleton emerged as quite a steal for the Rams after going undrafted in 2016 and making his bones on special teams before establishing himself as a bonafide shoot-caller on the inside. His versatile skill set and playmaking ability him the best player available at his position after finishing the 2019 NFL season with a career-high 134 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions.
Mayock has made it no secret that shoring up the linebacker corps would be an emphasis for the Raiders this offseason and have already kickstarted their approach with the signing of former Chicago Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. The addition of Littleton will undoubtedly provide a much-needed spark for them to build on.
Littleton was expected to make around $15 million annually in free agency, so it appears the Raiders were able to get him at a bit of a bargain, leaving more cap space to make other additions as well.
With two new linebackers in the fold, the Raiders will likely now shift their focus to improving their secondary.
