Las Vegas Raiders

Oakland Raiders Get ILB Their Defense Needed

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) onto the field prior to the Redskins

The Oakland Raiders have just made a great move in signing veteran inside linebacker Perry Riley. The move didn’t get a whole lot of hype but they just got a player that can bring the Raiders defense the rest of the way.

Last year, the Oakland Raiders started the season off horribly on defense. They couldn’t stop the run or tight ends and receivers in the passing game. But the Raiders made some moves and as the season went on, the Raiders defense improved.

The big move was claiming CB David Amerson off waivers from the Washington Redskins. His big immediate impact on the Raiders defense was four INTs and 27 passes defensed last year. This year so far, Pro Football Focus has him as the best CB in the NFL.

Amerson now hs CB Sean Smith, who had a bad first couple of games then solved his problems. FS Reggie Nelson is back on the right track too with 2016 1st-round SS Karl Joseph. But starting inside linebackers Malcolm Smith and Ben Heeney are both injured.

Rookie Cory James played well at one ILB spot Sunday but one more was needed. So the Raiders too to the streets to find 4-year starter Perry Riley also cut by the Redskins. And this acquisition is going to work out the same way claiming Amerson did.

Turn the page why.

Sep 13, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) is tackled by Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) in the third quarter at FedEx Field. The Dolphins won 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In His Own Words

Riley told the media per Raiders.com of what he’s bringing to the Raiders, “I’m a football player. If you ask me, I think I can do everything, cover, tackle, play the run and pass, but playing the run is definitely something that outside people have told me I do well.

“I’m a physical player. I come downhill, taking on blocks, making plays in the gap, backfield, whatever, but I think a lot of people underestimate my athleticism, or speed outside in pass coverage.”

Then he talked about watching the Raiders while he was on the street saying, “Definitely, I noticed the talent from afar, you have a young team that has a lot of talent, and they’re only getting better. “They’re 3-1 which is a great start if you ask me.

“I just want to come here and help keep that train rolling the way it’s going. Obviously not too much needs to be changed, you’re 3-1 in four games, so try to just keep that train going the way it’s going, and help improve it a little bit.”

Dec 7, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason (27) rushes the ball as Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) defends during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Physicality

Head coach Jack Del Rio has wanted to make the Raiders a physical team since he was hired. And as the NFL world has taken notice, the Raiders have become one of the more physical teams in the league. But the one area the Raiders lack physicality is at ILB.

Smith and Heeney are very small for ILBs as many of them are in todays pass-happy NFL. But two small ILBs will have teams running on you all day as opponents are doing against the Raiders now. The Raiders are currently ranked No. 31 against the run, giving up 5.1 yards per carry.

Smith and Heeney are quick so they sometimes can shoot a gap to make a play for a loss. But they aren’t physical enough to consistently take on and shed blocks, making it harder to maintain their gaps . They also have problems with broken tackles and just plain missing them.

Every scouting report on him says they Riley is a physical, run defending linebacker. His physicality enables him to take on blocks, shed them and stay in his gap to make the play. So the Raiders just got more physical and improved their run defense at the same time.

Dec 7, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Benny Cunningham (36) is tackled by Washington Redskins strong safety Phillip Thomas (41) and inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Instincts

If you’re going to be a small linebacker, you have to have the instincts to get you to the ball quicker. Otherwise, some 330 pound man is going to do harm to your body before you can get to the ball. Smith is getting better at it but he came into the league as a coverage specialist.

And Heeney is young so he guesses wrong a lot and that gets him pancaked at times. To go with his physical advantage, Riley has better instincts, entering his seventh year in the NFL. And he’s been a full-time ILB, seeing all the different looks an NFL ILB could see.

Taking on blocks and shedding them is good but it’s instincts that get ILBs to the ball for tackles. But Riley’s instincts always lead him to the football to rack up a lot of tackles. In 2012 and 2013, Riley averaged 120 tackles a year and in 2014, he had 94 in 14 games.

In 2015, he only played in nine games and was hurt in the games he played in. But anytime he’s been healthy and the starter in his career, he’s put up good numbers. He’s 28 now, in his prime, so there’s no reason to believe he can’t still produce.

Nov 15, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) intercepts the ball over New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Athleticism and Coverage

The NFL already knows that Riley, at 6’2″, 240 pounds, is physical and a rock in the middle of a defense. But you don’t really hear a lot about his speed and quickness out in coverage. Riley believes the NFL simply hasn’t taken notice of his athleticism.

He told ESPN, “But I think a lot of people underestimate my athleticism or speed outside in pass coverage. I think I got a lot of scrutiny in Washington about a couple of pass coverages I gave up. But at the same time, a lot of people don’t know everything that’s supposed to go on.”

But those that play with him or coach him know that Riley is extremely athletic. During the preseason last year, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden told Redskins.com, “He can cover anybody out of the backfield, any tight end because he can run.”

That’s obviously the something the Raiders, who are getting killed by TEs, need. Last year, Riley had a spectacular 1-handed INT of New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees while covering TE Ben Watson. That play tells you everything you need to know about his athleticism.

Nov 29, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) intercepts a pass intended for New York Giants running back Shane Vereen (34) as Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) defends in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

He’s Really That Good

Mike Shanahan was the head coach when The Redskins drafted Riley. It didn’t take him very long to figure out how good Riley is, telling Redskins.com back in 2012, “I think Perry is going to be a heck of a football player. “He’s got natural instincts.

“He’s obviously a lot more comfortable with the system going into this year. He is a playmaker. He has great speed, great agility and always seems to be around the football. There are some people that are just natural football players and he is one of those guys.”

And of course, you know Gruden took over for Shanahan and like what he inherited in Riley, saying, “Playing the position, his drops were good in the zones. “Getting on the right people, hitting the right gaps, sound tackling. He was just a good, all-around, solid linebacker.

“He really didn’t have any glaring weakness that I can remember. I just know that he was all over the place and very instinctive, more so when Will was in there.”

So don’t think Riley can’t play just because he wasn’t on a team when the Raiders picked him up.

Amerson wasn’t!

Nov 23, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) leaps over free safety Trenton Robinson (34) after Robinson made a tackle against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter at Levi

Why He wasn’t on a Team

If Perry is so good, why wasn’t he on a team, right?

Well, this is the salary-cap era so when you can find a passable option for much less money you do. Riley is a really good player that was still growing but he was no Ray Lewis. When the injury bug flew up and bit him in last year, the Redskins signed Mason Foster off the street.

Foster just got cut by the Chicago Bears himself so went to Washington on a mission. And since he played well, the Redskins decided to keep him around. Meanwhile, Riley tried to come back to soon last year and ended up needing surgery on his foot.

He missed the entire offseason and started training camp on the PUP list. And by the time he came back off the PUP list, the Redskins figured they might as well stay with Foster. The Redskins saved $4 million on the salary cap by cutting Riley.

Teams aren’t going to claim an ILB that’s making that kind of money and coming off an injury. Then as the free agent offers started to come, he wanted to take his time on a move. And he chose the Raiders because he saw something in the team and childhood friend Bruce Irvin.

Aug 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Redskins inside linebacker Perry Riley (56) on the sidelines against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons defeated the Redskins 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Bottom Line

There isn’t much hype behind this move by the Raiders but if healthy, Riley can turn the defense around. I already said he wasn’t Lewis but he’s a good ILB. And his talents lineup well with what the Raiders need on their defense.

Riley is rough, rugged and raw against the run with the Raiders’ run defense is suffering. TEs are killing the Raiders too and Riley is excellent in pass coverage, on them. This move kills two birds with one stone so it makes me wonder why they didn’t make it earlier.

I guess when you like a player [Heeney] you drafted, you’re willing to hang in there with him. His injury left room for a much better player to come in and turn the defense around right now. When the Raiders picked Amerson up, the pass coverage mightily improved.

Now that the Raiders picked up Riley, the run defense and TE coverage will mightily improve. So in a sense, Riley is the next Amerson in terms of pickups no one paid attention to at the time. There’s also the fact that they played for the Redskins before the Raiders picked him up.

He’s going to make huge impact on the Raiders.