Raiders release linebacker Tahir Whitehead

The Raiders released linebacker Tahir Whitehead on Monday, clearing nearly $6 million in cap room in advance of the beginning of free agency next week.

Whitehead was a starting linebacker for the Raiders for the last two years after spending the first six seasons of his career in Detroit. He led the team in tackles in both 2018 and 2019.

After starting middle linebacker and defensive signal-caller Vontaze Burfict was suspended following his illegal helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts tight end Jack Doyle in Week 4, Whitehead took over at the position. But he was replaced late in the season by linebacker Will Compton, who started the last three games at middle linebacker.

The Raiders were already on the way to a complete overhaul at linebacker, and that will be even more pronounced with Whitehead’s release. Burfict and Compton are also set to become unrestricted free agents at the start of the new league year next week. Reserve linebacker Kyle Wilber is also an unrestricted free agent and Nicholas Morrow, who started eight games for the club in 2019, is set to become a restricted free agent.

To replace Whitehead, the Raiders could pursue soon-to-be free agent linebacker Cory Littleton, who played a similar role to Whitehead in the Rams’ defense last season.

Las Vegas also met with linebackers at the NFL scouting combine two weeks ago — including Kenneth Murray of Oklahoma and Patrick Queen of LSU. Murray projects more as a middle linebacker in the NFL Queen could play a variety of different linebacker roles.

The Raiders have cap room projected at more than $50 million entering free agency.

Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.