Raiders find crucial defensive help with K.J. Wright addition
The Las Vegas Raiders defense has been a point of emphasis but they addressed a major weakness with a late signing of veteran linebacker K.J. Wright.
It’s hard to remember a time when the Las Vegas Raiders weren’t in need of help at linebacker. That’s not due to lack of trying either. They threw money at Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton, have drafted players such as Marquel Lee, and tried numerous other things. Now, they hope veteran K.J. Wright can provide the spark they’ve been lacking at the position.
On Thursday, the Raiders inked Wright to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson. He will play for a team other than the Seahawks for the first time in his career and, while on the wrong side of 30, he could potentially provide a jolt for the Las Vegas defense as he’s far from losing a step.
Last season, Wright graded out as the seventh-best linebacker in the NFL according to PFF (subscription required). Now, he’ll be playing without Bobby Wagner alongside him in the silver and black. However, he entered the offseason as one of the most underrated defensive free agents and he now has a team.
The Raiders needed a presence like K.J. Wright on defense.
Admittedly, Kwiatkoski and Nicholas Morrow played better at linebacker than some might think last season, though Littleton struggled. Moreover, the Raiders already traded for Denzel Perryman this offseason, adding another veteran to the mix at linebacker.
While all true, Wright is the best dart they could throw at the position at this time. He gives them a linebacker who not only excels in coverage but is more than adequate against the run as well. That has been a glaring issues for Las Vegas as they’ve trotted out a number of one-trick ponies at the position. They’ve lacked a player with the complete package in the way Wright offers it.
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Is K.J. Wright going to singlehandedly make the Raiders a top-10 defense in the NFL? No chance. However, he can help provide them a higher level of competency, which has held this team back in recent years. The offense has been there and the addition of Wright could help the defense not hamstring the other side of the ball in the 2021 campaign.