A Quiet, but Potentially Pivotal Player for Raiders

Aside from signing Tyler Linderbaum, the Raiders' biggest roster moves were adding Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker in free agency. Las Vegas entered the offseason in desperate need of linebackers but added two of the best at the position as soon as free agency began.

There is no doubt in the skill set of either Dean or Walker. Individually, and collectively, the former college teammates are considerable upgrades over what Las Vegas had at linebacker in 2025. However, with such big swings come the potential of big misses.

This is noteworthy, as many failed roster additions do not fail for lack of talent. If any of the Raiders' free agent additions do not pan out, it will not be because of talent. Each of them has proven enough on the field to warrant the contract they received from the Raiders. It is not about talent.

Las Vegas has done a solid job of adding to every level of its depth chart this offseason. Not only have they added multiple starters on both sides of the ball, but Las Vegas has also upgraded its reserves at essentially every position group. They have now hit the field to begin on-field work.

Raiders' Preparation

The Raiders signed Dean to a three-year, about $36 million deal. Every bit of that was well deserved for Dean based on his play and the Raiders' dire need for a solid linebacker. They signed Walker to a similar deal. Both moves significantly upgraded the Raiders' linebacker corps.

Considering Dean and Walker's history together, the two moves made even more sense. Yet another part of that history the Raiders considered was Dean's health history. While he is a quality linebacker when healthy, Dean has missed significant time during his four seasons.

This was undoubtedly taken into consideration by Raiders General Manager John Spytek before signing Dean. Spytek also has a relationship with the Philadelphia Eagles' GM, Howie Roseman. Las Vegas did its due diligence with Dean, as it did with every other move.

Even with his injury history and potential injury risk, Dean is an upgrade for the Raiders. They still must be prepared for life without Dean, should that happen. No player is immune to injury during a long, 17-game season, especially at one of the most physically demanding positions on the field.

Organized Team Activities has given them a jumpstart in preparing for that possibility, as Dean has been absent from some of the voluntary offseason workouts. This has given second-year middle linebacker Cody Lindenberg an added opportunity to improve, as he is a quiet but critical piece.

Las Vegas would be wise to give Lindenberg reps early and often in the regular season. Dean will unquestionably lead the way at the position and likely stay on the field for most of the game. However, the Raiders should protect their investment in Dean by giving Lindenberg a chance.

In Lindenberg, the Raiders have a young linebacker who will only get better with more regular-season experience. The 2025 seventh-round pick did not play at all on last season's defense, but he did play on nearly 90% of Las Vegas' special teams plays.

The Raiders have used OTAs as a chance to give Lindenberg additional practice he would not normally get. He must maximize those added repetitions as the Raiders could very well have to call on him at some point in the future.