Raiders new DBs with visions of new Legion of Boom in Las Vegas
Among the moves the Raiders made in free agency, the Raiders signed a whopping four defensive backs. The commonality between them? They're big.
First they re-signed 6-4 Isaiah Pola-Mao to a two-year deal. Next up, they brought on 6-3 safety Jeremy Chinn. Followed by 6-2 Lonnie Johnson Jr. And finally 6-1 cornerback Eric Stokes.
That's some serious size in the secondary. And that's just the way Pete Carroll likes it.
In each instance, Carroll personally spoke to these guys to tell them of his vision for them. And each came away excited about the possibilities.
Thursday the three newcomers spoke to the media and in each instance, Carroll's legendary Legion of Boom defense came up.
Jeremy Chinn has played a linebacker/safety hybrid role in his time in the league and is known for coming up and popping backs at the line or receivers coming over the middle. When thinking of the Legion of Boom, there is one guy who comes to mind who filled that role. And Chinn brought him up unprompted.
'When you look at his secondaries and the kind of guys that he's had," Chinn said of Carroll. "You think of Kam Chancellor and the Legion of Boom and guys like that. I'm just excited to be a part.'
Chinn relishes his versatility as a DB, adding "It keeps me and the defense unpredictable."
Lonnie Johnson Jr knows about playing various roles. He came into the league as a cornerback, but was moved to safety and in recent years has made his money on special teams. He too was excited by the possibilities of what Pete Carroll has planned for him.
'Man, the call I got from Pete was amazing, man. He's known for working with bigger DBs too," said Johnson. "You got guys like Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, you got guys like that, the LOB back in the day. He's known for working with guys with my physical attributes, my physical traits, Chinn's physical traits. Guys like us. We're excited to see what can he do to develop us and help us become better players. Obviously he's a gold jacket coach in waiting like I tell everybody. But what can he do to develop us and put us in the right plays.'
Johnson added Richard Sherman to the conversation in part because Sherman played cornerback at 6-3 and the 6-2 Johnson has played cornerback, nickel back, and safety in the league.
At 6-1, 195 Eric Stokes is on the larger side for a cornerback. While Sherman has him by two inches, they both come in at the same weight.
Stokes has yet to show the same versatility as the others in his four-year career. The former first round pick played exclusively outside cornerback for the Packers. But Sherman did the same for Carroll and the Seahawks.
Sherman excelled as a physical press-man, bump-and-run corner and that's Stokes's preferred style of play.
Physicality is the name of the game for the Raiders defense. Something new linebacker Elandon Roberts is known for as well. Which he says is important in order to "send a message".
While there may never be another Legion of Boom, Pete Carroll is prioritizing physicality in his defense and versatility in his secondary because those tenets were what led to that legendary defense a decade ago. These new, hungry players are game for trying to recreate that.
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