With the injury to linebacker Travis Goethel, the Raiders are likely going to bring in a veteran linebacker to fill the void that Goethel created. While the Raiders have already been linked to former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu this off season, John Clayton of ESPN brought up the possibility that the Raiders would bring back Kirk Morrison, just one year after trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Morrison is an Oakland native and started for the Raiders for a number of years, often leading the team in tackles in the process. However, unhappy with its run defense, Oakland decided it needed to find bigger linebackers, drafting Rolando McClain and trading for Kamerion Wimbley before last season. This meant Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard would lose their starting roles. Morrison was traded to the Jaguars while Howard was a back up last season before leaving in free agency this offseason.
Bringing Morrison back would likely be a smart move for the Raiders. His experience with the team, work ethic and high level of intelligence would enable him to adjust to the Raiders easier than a completely new face like Tatupu. It also doesn’t hurt that Morrison was a fan favorite when he played in Oakland.
Though, with that being said, I may be a little biased considering I went to high school with the guy (he wouldn’t remember me, but I sure remember being hit by him in practice) and am a big fan of his.