When the Raiders signed Cory Littleton to a big deal during the 2020 offseason, they thought they had finally solved their linebacker woes. Littleton was a former Pro Bowl player who was just 26 years old and coming off a strong season.
However, that just wasn’t the case as he never fit into the defense and was a liability more often than not. He did start 27 games for the Raiders, but he just never made an impact as he failed to record an interception and had just 0.5 sacks.
Going into the 2022 offseason, it’s expected that the Raiders will release Littleton in order to save some cap space. But is there any chance that the Raiders hold onto him, hoping that he can turn things around in Patrick Graham’s 3-4 defense?
In a recent article by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, they named a player from each team that could use a change of scenery. For the Raiders, that player was Littleton. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about Littleton going into the 2022 season:
“Look, Littleton was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Raiders’ free-agent class of 2020 as a game-changer in pass coverage. Instead, he struggled — mightily — and was replaced by rookie Divine Deablo as the team made its playoff run late in the season. Perhaps new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and his 3-4 scheme sensibilities can get more out of him. Because otherwise, Littleton’s $15.7 million cap number is a huge figure with which to deal.”
While it’s certainly possible that Littleton could be a better fit in a 3-4, don’t expect the Raiders to wait around and find out. Instead, they will likely release him with a post-June 1 designation in order to save the most cap space this year. Then, they will use that savings to find their own linebackers who they know will fit Graham’s defense.
If and when the Raiders release Littleton, don’t be surprised if he does have a strong market in free agency. He is only 28 years old and has played in 95 games since the 2016 season. Littleton just needs to get out of Las Vegas as this was never a good fit for him or the Raiders.
