K.J. Wright, Denzel Perryman give Raiders LB group big boost

Even before the Raiders lost Nicholas Morrow for an extended period of time to a foot injury, the team’s biggest defensive concern was at linebacker.

But when Morrow went down two weeks ago in a joint practice with the Rams — followed soon by the loss of reserve Javin White — all of a sudden concern turned into anxiety.

Which makes the Raiders’ rapid response to not only address the issue but potentially turn a weakness into a strength all the more impressive.

Within the past week, head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock beefed up the group with the addition of veterans K.J. Wright and Denzel Perryman. In both cases, the Raiders not only reeled in upgrades to what was on the roster but also added a pair of players with ties to new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

Wright, who played for Bradley in Seattle and was a longtime standout with the Seahawks, agreed to terms with the Raiders on Thursday on a one-year contract after a long courtship that began with a free-agent visit early in training camp. Wright left without a deal, but as the injuries mounted in Raiders camp, so too did the sense of urgency to add reinforcements.

Perryman, a middle linebacker who played for Bradley the past four years with the Los Angeles Chargers, was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers last week. After passing his physical and going through the five-day COVID-19 re-entry protocols for unvaccinated players, Perryman joined his new teammates for two days of practice this week.

The 32-year-old Wright is coming off one of his best seasons while playing both strongside linebacker in the Seahawks’ base defense and weakside in nickel packages. His ability to defend the run and the pass — he had 11 tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups last year — will be a welcome addition to a Raiders linebacker group that struggled in both areas.

The deal came together so suddenly it caught even Gruden off guard.

“I just got off the practice field,” Gruden said when informed the deal had been consummated. “I know there’s been some dialogue, but … I don’t have any comment on it. I know we’ve been looking at his situation.”

Perryman was similarly surprised. “Wait, say that again?” Perry responded upon hearing about Wright’s addition. “That’s news. That’s good. That’s more experience. More excitement.”

Chances are, Perryman will be the starting middle linebacker when the Raiders open the season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 13. He’ll be joined by Nick Kwiatkoski, who returned to practice on Thursday, and Cory Littleton in the linebacker rotation.

With Morrow officially landing on the injured reserve list — guaranteeing he’ll miss at least the first three games of the season — the addition of Perryman helps considerably.

“Getting Denzel Perryman was big,” Gruden said. “He’s a middle linebacker that gives us playing experience and system intelligence.”

The Raiders had been on Perryman’s radar going all the way back to January when Bradley was named the defensive coordinator, which just so happened to coincide with Perryman’s pending free agency. The inevitable game of connecting the dots that ensued drew in Perryman.

“I kind of thought that maybe I was going to end up here,” Perryman said.

Instead, free agency took him to Carolina on a two-year contract. But a training camp injury opened the door for some younger players to impress the Panthers’ coaching staff, which ultimately changed Perryman’s role. With the Raiders simultaneously going through their injury issues, it quickly led to a reunion between Bradley and Perryman.

“Things just worked their way out,” Perryman said.

Given where the Raiders were just over a week ago, with Morrow, Kwiatkoski and White all on the shelf, it’s been quite the impressive rebound. The Raiders went from one of the most questionable linebacker groups in the league to one of the most proven while buying development time for youngsters like Tanner Muse and Divine Deablo.

Both figure in the Raiders’ long-range plans but might not be ready to play prominent roles yet.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.