Oakland Raiders: 5 Major storylines following mandatory minicamp

The Linebacker Unit Needs to Make Strides in Coverage

Guenther sent a simple message to linebacker Marquel Lee and the defense, per Tafur.

"I told him this is the AFC West, you have to be able to cover. “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."

If injuries strike the veteran linebackers, Tahir Whitehead, Vontaze Burfict or Brandon Marshall, we could see Lee covering the length of the field with his lean physique.

Guenther and the Raiders placed a focus on communication among the linebackers during the offseason.

Oakland signed two battle-tested defenders, Burfict and Marshall, the former has six years of experience playing within Guenther’s scheme and the other suited up for a Super Bowl winner as a starter.

The experience across the second level of the defense may help the group shine a light on the blind spots in coverage. According to Football Outsiders, the Raiders allowed a combined 11.2 receptions for 100.1 receiving yards to running backs and tight ends combined per contest in 2018.

Beyond the communication factor, the linebackers have to improve their ability to reach certain spots on the field and read plays when dropping into coverage. Here’s a statistical glimpse of how five of the Raiders linebackers fared against the pass last year, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required):

• Vontaze Burfict: 26 targets, 21 receptions, 233 yards, TD
• Brandon Marshall: 28 targets, 20 receptions, 241 yards
• Nicholas Morrow: 36 targets, 29 receptions, 357 yards, TD
• Marquel Lee: 25 targets, 20 receptions, 242 yards, TD
• Tahir Whitehead: 52 targets, 44 receptions, 602 yards, 7 TDs, 1 INT

Typically, the offense outperforms the defense without pads during the spring, but Morrow and Whitehead flashed their ball-tracking skills during OTAs, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle:

"A promising glimpse of that came in team drills during Tuesday’s OTA practice. On a play in the red zone, third-year linebacker Nicholas Morrow picked up receiver Antonio Brown in coverage and broke up Derek Carr’s throw for Brown in the end zone. On another play, cornerback Daryl Worley provided coverage on a pass that was juggled by tight end Erik Swoope and intercepted by linebacker Tahir Whitehead."

Although Derrick Johnson didn’t pan out into a starter with the Raiders, he took Morrow under his wing during a short period last offseason. The now-retired linebacker became one of better coverage defenders at his position, recording 77 pass breakups and 14 interceptions in 14 seasons.

Perhaps Johnson’s tricks of the trade rubbed off on Morrow. We should also credit the young linebacker’s athleticism and experience playing a hybrid linebacker-safety role at Greenville College. He could carve out a significant role in the nickel.