The Las Vegas Raiders have generated some hype heading into the 2020 NFL season thanks to their notable additions on both sides of the ball this offseason.
Although the Raiders will be enjoying some tremendous continuity on offense from the 2019 campaign, the same cannot be said for the defense after seven of their 11 free agent signings came on this side of the ball. They are hoping that the turnover they experienced will help to spark a potential resurgence since most of the additions are expected to take on integral roles.
Las Vegas managed to beef up their secondary with a healthy mix of young talent and veteran players while also filling the notable voids in their linebacker corps. Considering this had been a point of emphasis for head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock at the beginning of the offseason, it is safe to say that they are happy with the result.
According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Gruden has high hopes for the revamped secondary:
“Mullen really developed last season and now we get (safety) Johnathan Abram back,” Gruden said. “I really like (rookie corner) Damon Arnette. He is a good player. I think we have some depth now and competition with (safeties Jeff) Heath and (Damarious) Randall coming in here.”
Gruden added that the arrival of linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkoski in free agency gives this group some much-needed shot-callers:
“It’s an area we needed to improve,” Gruden said. “We think Littleton is a special player, and Kwiatkoski gets to run the band and be the lead singer. He’ll make the calls and make the adjustments. We think it’s his time.”
While the personnel along the defensive line has not changed much, Gruden feels the addition of former Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and defensive tackle Maliek Collins provide a major boost up front:
“Under the radar, (defensive tackle) Maliek Collins is a really good player,” Gruden said. “He’s young and he’s got history with (new defensive line coach Rod) Marinelli. Marinelli is one of the best coaches I have ever met, and I have met a lot of coaches.”
The restrictions placed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have hardly been ideal for teams trying to get their new players properly assimilated into the system leading up to the 2020 campaign. Regardless, there is still certainly good reason for Gruden to be excited considering the bevy talent they now have at key positions on defense.
With training camp officially set to begin, the onus will ultimately fall on the coaching staff to put it all together if they hope to kick off a new era at Allegiant Stadium in style.
