Indianapolis Colts

Should the Oakland Raiders Bring Sio Moore Back?

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

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I thought GM Reggie McKenzie made a steal when the Oakland Raiders drafted Sio Moore in 2013. But the Raiders traded the 3rd-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for a 6th-round pick in 2015. And here we are just a year later and the Colts cut him Tuesday.

Sio Moore appeared to be up and coming linebacker with the Oakland Raiders from 2013 to early 2015. He was versatile, with the ability to play inside and outside linebacker. He can rush the passer when they blitzed him off the edge play the run as well.

He he has speed, agility and boy can he hit so there’s nothing not to like about Moore. Okay, maybe a few things—he can be a bit spacey and sleep on his coverage assignments. He can also be hot dog at times, almost costing the Raiders one of their three wins in 2014.

That flaw is often tragic for eccentric players uless they are a once-in-a-generation type. But Moore, although talented, would never be mistaken for a Ray Lewis or Lawrence Taylor. So head coach Jack Del Rio, who was hired in 2015, didn’t like his act.

And he traded him to the Colts for a 6th-round pick, telling the media, “He wasn’t going to make our team. We had depth there that we’re really happy about. We brought in two free-agent linebackers that are both playing really well.

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“We brought in two draft picks that are both playing pretty well. We developed a guy at the position that’s returning in Ray-Ray [Armstrong] and we added a guy that we think is a real core difference maker on special teams.

“We’ve got a full group. It was an opportunity to acquire a pick for a guy that somebody else may want to have.”

Curtis Lofton, Ben Heeney, Neiron Ball, Lorenzo Alexander and Malcolm Smith are the guys along with Armstrong. They’re so good, Heeney and Smith are the only ones still there, neither of them playing well this year. Injuries have Heeney out for the season Smith out for an unspecified time too.

And the Colts just cut Moore for too often leaving the middle of the field open for big plays. The Raiders just signed Perry Riley to take the place of Heeney while there’s no update on Smith.

Could the Raiders consider Moore with a now thin linebacker corps?

Did Moore learn from this release, causing him to focus on coverage assignments going forward?

How bad is Smith’s injury?

The bottom line is the Raiders need bodies!

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