Ken Norton Jr. Named Raiders DC: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Ken Norton Jr. has been hired as the new defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders. He comes over from the reigning NFC champion Seattle Seahawks, where he was a linebackers coach.

The Raiders announced the staff addition on their official site. The release included further background information about the former NFL player:

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Ken Norton Jr. has been named the defensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders, the club announced Friday. Norton, Jr. is entering his sixth season as an NFL coach, having spent the previous five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He will be entering his 19th season overall in the NFL, 13 as an All-Pro linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

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Justin Tuck expressed his approval via Twitter:

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports notes it's another setback for a Seahawks defense that's been the best unit in football the past two seasons:

He also highlights one player who should surely benefit thanks to Norton's arrival in Oakland:

The numbers don't really do Khalil Mack's rookie season justice. He finished with 75 total tackles and four sacks, but his impact was far greater. He was often a monster stopping the run, despite getting little help, and he got a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Bringing in Norton, who played a key role in the development of Seattle's Bobby Wagner, could help Mack make the slight tweaks necessary to become one of the NFL's top all-around defenders. The talent is definitely there.

In the bigger picture, the Raiders defense needs plenty of work. It ranked 21st in total yards allowed last season, rating 16th against the pass and 22nd against the run. Add in an inconsistent offense and it's easy to see why the team finished 3-13.

The unit obviously needs upgrades—the new coordinator will probably hope one comes from the team's top-five draft pick—but it's his job to get improvement from whichever players are on the roster.

Mack and Sio Moore are good building blocks. Norton still has a tough task ahead of him, though.