Oakland Raiders: Is Richard Seymour Starting at Defensive Tackle?

On September 6th, 2009 the Oakland Raiders made a blockbuster trade for five-time Pro Bowler Richard Seymour.

This led to a firestorm of rumors that Seymour refused to play for the Raiders and would not report to the team. He later flew to Oakland and revealed he had been a Raider fan as a child.

Seymour recorded two sacks in Oakland's season opener on September 14th, two days after he had reported to the team.

Richard played defensive end for the majority of the season, but did get some looks at defensive tackle.

Now fast forward to July of 2010. The Raiders are holding their first real practice for training camp and Richard is lining up as a defensive tackle next to Tommy Kelly. Matt Shaughnessy and LaMarr Houston are playing as the starting defensive ends.

If Seymour starts at defensive tackle the whole season, what will it mean for other players and the defense as a whole? Let's take a look.

Matt Shaughnessy and LaMarr Houston

We all know these two players have talent. They're both really young and have a good future in the NFL. Shaughnessy has the potential to be a superb pass rusher while Houston should help stop the run. Having Seymour play defensive tackle will get these two more snaps so they can develop quicker. I think they really benefit from Richard's switch.

Tommy Kelly

If Richard Seymour fully switches to defensive tackle, then Tommy Kelly should be absolutely thrilled. Tommy is very underrated and has taken double teams after signing his huge contract in 2008. Seymour will take a lot of pressure off Kelly so he can finally reach his potential. Tommy could have a breakout year this season.

John Henderson

This is where I'm really disappointed. I wanted to see Henderson as a starter this season solely for his run-stopping abilities. While Richard is a superb run-stopper as well, his skills may be used more as a pass-rusher. John should fit into the rotation well, but don't expect him to beat out Tommy Kelly for a starting position.

Linebackers

This will only have a positive effect on the linebacker corps. They'll have a ton of help in front of them and should flourish in stopping the run. Not much to say here.

Defense

Having Richard Seymour move to a full-time defensive tackle will only improve the defense. He is a great pass rusher and run stopper. Moving Seymour opens opportunities up for LaMarr Houston, Tommy Kelly, and Matt Shaughnessy. Expect Oakland's defense to be ranked in the top-15 with a killer defensive line.

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