The New England Patriots have spent a lot of time this offseason taking players from the Las Vegas Raiders’ ’24 defense. First was linebacker Robert Spillane, who agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal with New England. Then was safety Marcus Epps and edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson. Now, the Patriots strike again, matching Sin City’s offer on linebacker Christian Elliss, leaving Pete Carroll in need of linebackers.
Ouch.
As per ESPN, the offer sheet New England matched was a two-year deal, keeping the 26-year-old under contract until the conclusion of the 2026 season. Elliss is a do-it-all linebacker who would’ve served as the picture-perfect Divine Deablo replacement. That’s exactly what Sin City is now in need of–a linebacker who’s able to do multiple things.
It’s back to the drawing board for Sin City as the team looks for such a linebacker.
A closer look at the Las Vegas Raiders’ current LBs under Pete Carroll, Patrick Graham
Remember: It isn’t only Robert Spillane who became a free agent this offseason. It’s Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson as well; all three of the top-three linebackers on Sin City’s depth chart.
Elandon Roberts, who the Raiders added through free agency, is an old-school linebacker who specializes in finding the ball-carrier and subsequently bringing them down. Tommy Eichenberg, a fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, is cut from that same cloth.
Neither are the do-it-all type of linebacker who offer a bit of everything that both Deablo and Christian Elliss are. Amari Gainer, a standout undrafted free agent during last year’s preseason, isn’t that, either.
Amari Burney, who’s played 190 total defensive snaps for the Raiders through two seasons, remains a question mark. Burney was a standout in this year’s preseason, finishing with a grade of 83.2 against the run via Pro Football Focus; the highest mark on the entirety of the team. His 33% stop percentage on running downs was also a team-high.
And, more than that, Burney played the safety position while at college with the Florida Gators. He recorded two interceptions while allowing 65% of passes his way to be completed in 2022 during his last collegiate season.
That’s offering a bit of everything.
The problem is, none of that has translated at the NFL-level. This past season, for example. Burney missed a team-high 40% of tackles on running downs. Let that sink in–if it was a running play, Burney missed two tackles for every five tackle attempts. That’s why he earned a mere two stops on 41 running downs.
In coverage, Burney allowed seven of the eight passes his way to be completed this past season. It’s been a struggle up to this point.
It seems Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek must add somewhat of a versatile linebacker to Sin City’s roster. As far as free agency goes, E.J. Speed and Kyzir White fit the bill perfectly, filling in exactly what the Raiders need after Deablo’s departure. Or, perhaps, simply bringing Deablo back will suffice for now.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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