Coming off a 2019 season in which they finished 24th in scoring defense, 31st in turnovers forced and 26th in yards per play allowed, the Raiders made defense their top offseason priority in the offseason. The majority of their free agency signings were geared toward that side of the ball.
No addition was more expensive than linebacker Cory Littleton, who agreed to a three-year, $35.25 million deal with $22 million guaranteed in March. Neither coach Jon Gruden nor general manager Mike Mayock had met Littleton when they agreed to terms; Gruden just got the chance to last month once players reported for the start of training camp.
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Littleton’s been a full participant throughout camp. His decision to join the Raiders in March wasn’t complex, but he’s excited to move forward with his career in Las Vegas. The 26-year-old linebacker, who saw the Rams go from 4-12 his rookie year to an appearance in Super Bowl 53 in his third season, believes the Raiders aren’t far off from taking the next step as a team.
“To be honest, I don’t think there’s a lot of things that need to change with what’s already here,” Littleton said Sunday. “At the end of the day, it just comes down to a want-to. And me coming here, I see the same type of hunger that we had when we were in L.A. coming off of losing seasons and wanting to be better because you know that you can. And everybody here is motivated to do just that.”
Gruden’s and Mayock’s confidence in the fifth-year player is easy to understand after reviewing his history. He’s been consistently adaptable, reliable and, over the last two years, has evolved into one of the best defensive playmakers in the league.
Littleton went undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft coming out of Washington but stuck with the Rams as their backup outside linebacker after a strong showing in training camp. He largely made his way as a special-teamer his first two years in the league, but switched to inside linebacker when Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay and former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips were hired in 2017.
He was a stronger fit within their 3-4 base defense and spent another year developing as a backup. He won the starting job going into his third season and established himself as the most productive defender on the roster.
Littleton played all 16 games in 2018 and racked up 125 tackles, nine tackles for loss and four sacks. He started every game last season and compiled 134 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. In addition to helping stop the run, he was a difference-maker in pass coverage: He had five interceptions and 22 pass deflections in his final two seasons with the Rams.
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“My mindset coming into the league was to find where my value was,” Littleton said. “Before, playing in college, my value was being a defensive end; a pass rusher mostly. Coming into the league, I knew there was going to have to be some type of transition with me having to play linebacker. So, all the aspects that came with linebacker, I just try to be the best one I can be.”
At 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, he was big enough to compete with tight ends while still being fast enough to keep up with running backs and receivers. Given how much the Raiders’ linebackers have struggled in coverage in recent years, Littleton’s skill set played a huge part in his landing with Vegas.
“He moves like a DB but he’s in a linebacker body,” safety Jeff Heath said. “He’s really fast and he’s very fluid. This league now is all about matchups. Team’s offenses have so many different guys at every position that can win down the field and that are quick, agile and fast, so you got to have guys on defense to match up with those types of players.
“The days of the 265-pound linebacker who doesn’t leave the hashes, that’s tough in today’s game. I’ve played against him a few times when he was with the Rams and you just see his athleticism and his play-making ability. It’s definitely a good asset to have on the team.”
The Raiders have a 4-3 base, so Littleton will shift back outside to Will linebacker. When they turn to their 4-2-5 sub defense, he and Mike linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski will be the only ‘backers on the field. Littleton has shown that he’ll be up to the responsibilities that come with both packages so far through training camp.
“He can cover ground in a very short amount of time,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “He’s picking up the run fits in our defense, which is a little bit different structurally than where he came from. He’s done a really good job for us in everything we’re doing; both in base and the sub defense.”
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Littleton has retained his willingness to play special teams for the Raiders despite his significant pay raise (his 2019 salary was $3.09 million). Between his linebacker and coverage team responsibilities, he’d be one of their best players in two phases of the game. That’s plenty of value coming from the leader of a position group that hasn’t been good for the Raiders for years.
“My thing is always, ‘Find your value,’” Littleton said. “My start was playing special teams; that was where my value was. I ended up being able to make some plays out there. And I’ve noticed throughout the years that those plays have changed games completely and changed the whole turnout and got us wins. That’s still a part of the game. If I’m needed, I’d love to do it. Because, at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning.”
Littleton is going into his fifth year in the league, but that makes him a senior player on the Raiders’ young roster. He’s embraced his role as a leader and the Raiders have high expectations for his overall contribution to the team.
“We think he can do it all,” Gruden said. “He’s been a three-down linebacker on a good team, a Super Bowl team. He’s got sideline-to-sideline ability. He’s got cover ability. He’s what we’re looking for. We just have to put it all together, put some time on task, teach him our defense and get him comfortable like he was in L.A.”
(Photo: Benjamin Hager / Las Vegas Review-Journal)
