When the Oakland Raiders signed linebacker Perry Riley Jr. last October, most Raiders fans didn’t think twice. Ben Heeney and Malcolm Smith were injured, so the Silver and Black needed depth. As the season went on, Riley proved to be an invaluable asset to the team, quickly becoming the team’s best linebacker. Now his contract is up. This is why the Oakland Raiders should re-sign Perry Riley Jr.
The Oakland Raiders Should Re-Sign Perry Riley Jr.
When Perry Riley Jr. showed up for the second half of the season, he made an immediate impact. Head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. were both very complimentary of Perry Riley Jr., saying that he was a competitive, hungry player that brought a ton to the table.
Linebacker is a big need for the Oakland Raiders. In fact, most mocks have them selecting an inside linebacker in the first round, including the official Last Word on Pro Football mock draft, as well as the Oakland Raiders pre-combine seven round mock draft. With the hiring of defensive coach, John Pagano, most people are anticipating a switch to a 3-4 defense. Why in the world should the Raiders try to acquire two great inside linebackers this off-season, when there’s already one on the roster.
The best thing about Perry Riley Jr. is that while he had a good year, it wasn’t a great year. Pro Football Focus ranked him as their 15th best linebacker this season, and while he had some bad moments, he was consistently pretty decent. This is good news because that means the free agent asking price won’t be too high.
The Oakland Raiders should be able to re-sign Perry Riley Jr., and there’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t. He’s a consistently good talent at a position of need. The coaches love him, the fans love him, and the players love him. He was a rare spot of defensive consistency last season, and the Raiders should do all they can to keep him around.
