Since the end of the 2022 NFL season, Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler has made – or has failed to make – a seemingly-countless amount of moves that Raider Nation hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with. Many of the more-obvious decisions, or lack thereof, have already begun hurting the Silver and Black after just five weeks. Such examples include the Jimmy Garoppolo signing in addition to settling for the team’s subpar offensive line and defensive tackle units.
We could sit here and make a sizable list of moves that haven’t worked out for Sin City, most of which never made much sense to begin with. But let’s not make this a one-way street: If we can point out Ziegler’s shortcomings thus far, we can also give praise where it’s due.
There’s one decision in particular Dave Ziegler made this offseason that many people – myself included – didn’t at all agree with. It was widely criticized, but after five weeks it seems as if Las Vegas’ general manager got the last laugh; Ziegler’s [lack of] urgency when addressing the team’s linebacker unit this offseason.
The Raiders let Denzel Perryman leave through free agency and welcomed Robert Spillane, who totaled 16 career starts, as his replacement. Accomplished veterans such as Lavonte David were available at a bargain price, but Ziegler remained faithful to the pre-existing unit.
Such a decision seemed sure to spell disaster, but the results thus far have been anything but disastrous.
Dave Ziegler gambles with Raiders pre-existing linebacker core and hits jackpot
After five weeks, Spillane, Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson stand as the only three linebackers on Las Vegas’ roster to tally any defensive snaps. Up to this point, each of the three have played exceptional football.
Robert Spillane, a first-year Raider, has had himself a true breakout season. Among [off-ball] linebackers across the NFL, Spillane is tied with the most interceptions (2) while allowing the seventh-lowest quarterback rating when tested (52.8). When rushing the passer, no player at his position has generated more pressures (8), beating his assignment 20% of the time (13th-highest).
Divine Deablo isn’t playing much worse; if any worse at all.
Deablo, the longest-tenured linebacker in Las Vegas, has generated five pressures (15th-most at position) while winning against his blockers 21.1% of the time (12th-highest). In coverage, the former third-round pick has forced two incompletions.
Missed tackles have been a problem for both players at times, but neither of the two missed any last week. On the season, Spillane has missed 18.4% of his tackle attempts while Deablo sits at 7.9% missed.
Luke Masterson, Pro Football Focus‘ eighth-highest graded off-ball linebacker, is the third of Las Vegas’ linebacker trio. With just 37 snaps on the young season, it’s hard to truly determine Masterson’s impact. Still, his 85.4 grade against the run ranks sixth-highest at his position.
That’s who the Raiders are working with courtesy of Dave Ziegler. There were available linebackers the team could’ve used greatly; checking in on those players will paint a better picture of Ziegler’s work.
Lavonte David, David Long Jr., Denzel Perryman: The linebackers Raider Nation wanted, but didn’t get
All-Pro linebacker Lavonte David signed a one-year deal just under $7 million to continue playing in Tampa Bay. By all accounts, this price is what the kids call a ‘steal’.
Sure, David might’ve taken less to stay in the city he’s called home for over a decade, but the Raiders didn’t even try to compete for him. Perhaps that was the right choice after all.
Both David’s grade in coverage (65.9) and running plays (57.7) are lower than the grades each member of the Raiders linebacker trio posted in these categories. The Buccaneers veteran also has less pressures and tackles than Spillane and Deablo, while allowing a higher completion percentage (87%).
David Long Jr., who shares a name with a Raiders cornerback, has both high-points and low-points in 2023. The high is his sensational 88.8 grade against the run. The low is in coverage, where he’s allowed all 14 targets his way to be completed. Quarterbacks have a passer rating of 142.6 when targeting the Dolphins linebacker. Long Jr. joins Lavonte David on the list of linebackers who have less tackles than both Deablo and Spillane this season.
Denzel Perryman earned a Pro Bowl nod with Las Vegas in 2021. Although this may seem insignificant, it made Perryman the first Raiders [off-ball] linebacker since the 80’s to make the Pro Bowl. After the 2022 season, the two sides elected to go in different directions.
Perryman’s 72.7 grade against the run aside, there’s not much to write home about this year. The veteran has the least pressures and least tackles out of all linebackers listed above. In coverage, both his 87.5% completion percentage allowed and 107.8 passer rating when targeted are higher marks than the two starting linebackers in Sin City.
*Top Photo: Associated Press
