Oakland Raiders: Slimmer Marquel Lee could show improvement in coverage
Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther sent a message to his group, and Marquel Lee received the memo loud and clear.
Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther laid it out bluntly to linebacker Marquel Lee and his fellow defenders. The Wake Forest product received the message. He came back with a different look; we may see him dart across the field with increased agility.
“I told him this is the AFC West, you have to be able to cover,” Guenther said to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “He looks good…I told each guy before he left last season the two or three things that they have to improve on. And I was bluntly honest with all of them. And Marquel has come back in great shape. He may be a different guy on the field, too.”
According to Tafur, Lee played at 250 pounds last year, and he’s down to 238. Opposing quarterbacks targeted him 25 times and completed 20 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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Clearly, Guenther doesn’t want Lee to become a liability on passing downs — a fault that would limit his time on the field. In 2018, he lined up for 448 defensive snaps and 381 reps on special teams.
Oakland added two veteran linebackers in Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall, but the former’s inability to be available because of suspension or injury may continue to hinder his impact. The latter is coming off a shortened campaign because of a knee ailment.
Typically, Lee has contributed to the run defense with a physical presence going downhill, but his body conditioning could lead to an expanded role.
On the collegiate level, Lee didn’t show much in coverage, logging two pass breakups and zero interceptions in four terms. The Raiders drafted him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft, and he started in his first five games. NaVorro Bowman took over the position in the last 10 contests that year. In 2018, Guenther utilized linebacker Tahir Whitehead in the middle down the stretch.
The Raiders could lean on a trio of veterans at linebacker: Whitehead, Marshall and Burfict. Then again, Guenther may not hesitate to insert Lee if he’s tracking the football through the air. Now 12 pounds lighter, we could see him go step for step with pass-catching tight ends.
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Within the division, Oakland will see Travis Kelce, Hunter Henry and Noah Fant for a combined six times a year, and Guenther’s defense must have an answer for all three when they’re running routes downfield.