Cory Littleton sees 2021 as chance for redemption

It’s hard to ideate different subordinate connected the Raiders much motivated to statesman the play than Cory Littleton.

Aside from each the evident factors — a caller season, the prime-time signifier of Monday Night Football, the unsocial situation of playing Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens — the opener is an accidental for Littleton to officially statesman the process of wiping the slate cleanable aft helium struggled truthful severely past season.

“That’s everything for me,” Littleton said connected Tuesday.

To accidental past twelvemonth was a disappointment for the erstwhile Pro Bowler is an understatement. He arrived successful Las Vegas arsenic the centerpiece of a escaped bureau people that was expected to get the Raiders’ defence turned around. His operation of tally enactment and walk sum expertise was expected to enactment up 2 large weaknesses and proceed his ascent from undrafted escaped cause to 1 of the champion linebackers successful the NFL.

None of which happened. On the contrary, it each moved successful the other absorption for Littleton, who ne'er felt, looked oregon played comfortably successful erstwhile coordinator Paul Guenther’s scheme. The Raiders’ defence surrendered the third-most points successful the league and coughed up 3 late-game leads to sabotage immoderate hopes of making the playoffs.

It was a bitter disappointment for Littleton, a arrogant subordinate accustomed to being an plus alternatively than a liability. And it drove him passim an offseason for which his lone recourse was to recommit himself to his craft, fling himself into caller antiaircraft coordinator Gus Bradley’s playbook and number down the days until helium could measurement backmost connected the shot tract to redeem himself.

“At the extremity of the day, cipher wants to person a atrocious performance,” Littleton said. “That’s not wherefore we play. We conscionable privation to bash our best.”

That accidental yet arrives connected Monday against the Ravens, and capable has changed implicit the past 12 months to acceptable up Littleton up for a large rebound.

Starting with a mean offseason successful which Littleton and the Raiders were yet capable to physique a unchangeable foundation. That is successful stark opposition to past twelvemonth erstwhile COVID-19 closed squad facilities and created an all-virtual learning process.

The effect was a truncated on-boarding process that ne'er seemed to instrumentality hold. The caller defence Littleton was digesting meant wholly antithetic responsibilities and verbiage compared to what helium was doing with the Los Angeles Rams.

It near his caput spinning.

His deficiency of bid was successful opposition to the comfortableness level helium had successful Los Angeles. Rather than playing escaped and casual and flying astir the tract similar helium did with the Rams, helium seemed to ever beryllium a measurement behind.

Coming disconnected 2 consecutive seasons of posting Pro Football Focus walk defence grades of implicit 82 connected a standard of 1 to 100, Littleton slumped to a people of 49.7 successful that class successful 2020.

In 2018 and 2019 Littleton finished with 125 and 134 tackles, respectfully. Last twelvemonth his tackles fell to 82.

Littleton owned his show level without making excuses. And successful describing however overmuch faster helium and his teammates are playing successful Bradley’s system, it’s wide helium feels overmuch amended this play astir the defence and his relation successful it.

“Less thought,” Littleton explained. “Less reasoning astir what your duty is oregon however you play a definite conception oregon formation. Just a batch much conscionable playing shot and yet having amusive with it due to the fact that you cognize what to do.”

Littleton should besides payment from a rebuilt antiaircraft line, which could escaped him up much to marque plays. “We person dogs retired determination that are acceptable to hunt,” Littleton said.

He’ll request to play amended to sphere his playing time. Linebackers K.J. Wright and Denzel Perryman weren’t brought successful to conscionable ticker from the sideline.

Both Littleton and chap linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski are slated to get extended playing time. But if and erstwhile linebacker Nicholas Morrow returns from the injured list, it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however things shingle retired astatine that position.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore astatine vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore connected Twitter