Longtime NFL veteran linebacker Cory Littleton signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. The deal carries with it 22 million in guarantees and keeps him with the organization until 2023. Littleton, a Washington product, spent the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Rams.
Raiders reached agreement with former Rams' LB Cory Littleton on a three-year, $36 million deal, including $22 million guaranteed, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020
Cory Littleton Signs
The Las Angeles Rams’ season did not go as planned, but that was in no part due to their stud middle linebacker Cory Littleton. The do-it-all defender recorded 134 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions. Little is a versatile athlete that excels in pass coverage. In today’s NFL, his skillset is exactly what every team is looking for as linebackers are forced off the field in nickel and dime situations. Littleton has the instincts to disrupt play at all levels of the defense.
The fifth-year pro enters free agency on the heels of a strong season, but his best year occurred in 2018 on the Rams run to the Super Bowl. Littleton made the Pro Bowl in a stacked NFC after producing another stat-stuffing line. He had three interceptions, four sacks, and an impressive 13 pass breakups in his first full season as a starter. He was then voted as a second-team All-Pro, padding his resume quickly. Even as a reserve in 2017, Littleton showed ability as a pass defender, as he had a pick and four deflections in just four starts. He has never missed a game in his four years in the league and has very few overall concerns in his pro game.
Littleton entered the draft out of Washington where primarily lined up at defensive end. The largest accolade he received was being named honorable mention All-Pac-12 in his senior season. He tested well at the combine but didn’t project well to the next level so he went undrafted. Safe to say, the Rams got a steal when they scooped him up off the undrafted free agent market. It took an innovative coordinator like Wade Phillips to visualize Littleton’s potential impact on the field. The team felt so secure with Littleton that they moved on from Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron to make room for him. His rise from undrafted rookie to one of the game’s most versatile defenders is why he should break the bank if he hits the open market.
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