As the 2022 offseason gets underway, teams will soon start making moves. Looking to make additions, the Las Vegas Raiders need all the cap space they can get. One analyst believes it could come at the cost of linebacker Cory Littleton.
What should the Raiders do with Cory Littleton?
High Profile Acquisition
Back in the 2020 offseason, Littleton was one of the league’s marquee free agents. It was clear why after a fantastic 2019 season where he posted 134 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Undrafted in 2016, he was looking for someone to give him his first big payday. Looking for linebacker help, the Raiders were happy to oblige. Given a three-year, $36 million contract, he was expected to become the face of the Raiders’ defense.
This did not happen, however. With just 82 tackles in 2020, he posted the lowest tackle for a loss total of his career. In addition, he was routinely out of place in coverage and gave up many long pass plays. In 2021, the hope was that new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley could “fix” Littleton. Again, this did not happen as he fell out of favor rather quickly. With his snaps dropping from 848 in 2020 to 661 in 2021, he was not the game-changer that Mike Mayock had hoped for.
Cap Casualty?
In an article written by Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger, he lists a potential cap casualty for all 32 teams. For the Raiders, he, of course, lists Littleton and had this to say:
“The Raiders continued to add to the off-ball linebacker position in the 2021 offseason after signing Littleton to a three-year, $35.25 million deal in 2020. The Raiders traded for Denzel Perryman before the season began, and he played his way into a Pro Bowl nod. Meanwhile, Littleton earned his second consecutive season grade below 50.0.”
He goes on to mention how much the Raiders could save by cutting Littleton. If it were done prior to June 4th, Las Vegas would save a whopping $11.7 million. If he were let go after that date, the Raiders would still save over four million in cap space.
Who Would Replace Cory Littleton?
Luckily, the Raiders have several suitable replacements already on the team. As the NFL evolves into a league where nickel defenses are prevalent, most teams really only start two linebackers. With Denzel Perryman holding down one spot, the Raiders have three players who could play beside him.
The first is Nick Kwiatkoski, who only played eight games for the Raiders in 2020. Alas, he is proficient against the run, and the Raiders are paying him nearly $7 million in 2022. Another option is upcoming free agent Nicholas Morrow. After signing a one-year deal with the Raiders in 2021, he didn’t play at all last season due to injury. However, he did flash at times when given a chance, and he would come back to Vegas for quite cheap. The most likely contender is former third-round pick Divine Deablo. After starting five games for Vegas down the stretch, he earned valuable playing time. A great athlete, he could be a major factor on defense going forward.
At this point, releasing Littleton feels obvious. Simply put, the Raiders can not afford to repay more than $11 million in 2022. If the team is going to compete going forward, they will need to do without his services.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
