Oakland Raiders: Identifying Sio Moore's Potential Replacements as OLB

Former Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Sio Moore never found a place within defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s unit.

Head coach Jack Del Rio addressed the media with a blunt statement that indicates Moore quickly fell out of favor with the influx of talent on the roster, per CSNBayArea.com reporter Scott Bair.

“Moore wouldn’t have been here, even if that trade didn’t happen. Head coach Jack Del Rio made that clear after practice, when he discussed the trade for the first time. He wasn’t going to make our team,” Del Rio said. “We had depth there that we’re really happy about.”

In previous press conferences, Del Rio’s words didn’t come through as clear as in the above quote, but the coaching staff saw something or didn’t see enough of something in Moore to keep him around.

There’s no reason to question the acumen of Del Rio and Norton, as former Pro Bowl linebackers. Nonetheless, Moore led the Raiders in sacks over the last two seasons (7.5) and ranked second in total tackles (138) behind safety Charles Woodson (208).

His production and energy only amounted to a sixth-round draft pick acquired from the Indianapolis Colts, as reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

"

For the right to trade for former #Raiders OLB Sio Moore, the #Colts give up a 6th round pick.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2015"

The deal sounds like a bargain, but options left the coaching staff with limited choices. Take the deal or release the player and get absolutely nothing for him.

It’s ok to question the move as risky, but this isn’t Madden 2016 where users can finagle all types of trades. The Raiders made their lack of interest in Moore clear by his limited playing time during the preseason. Staffers from other NFL teams watch games as well and knew they wouldn’t have to offer much to pry Moore away from Oakland.

Oakland's coaching staff prepped potential replacements for the ex-Raiders linebacker throughout training camp and preseason.

Ray-Ray Armstrong, Benson Mayowa and Neiron Ball absorbed the snaps Moore would’ve received during exhibition.

Option No. 1: Ray-Ray Armstrong

As reported by Raiders.com's Eddie Paskal, the coaching staff raved about Armstrong very early in the offseason. Eventually, he became a starter as Moore recovered from hip surgery.

As noted in the table above, Armstrong struggled heavily in coverage. He presented a bulls-eye for opposing quarterbacks to target in the passing game.

According to ESPN's Bill Williamson, he also struggled with field discipline—a weakness in his game dating back to his tenure with the St. Louis Rams. Armstrong racked up three penalties in four games and offered this gem for Vine users on social media courtesy of the RaidersBeat Twitter handle (h/t Zach Dresler).

"

Ray-Ray Armstrong providing unnecessary aerial support: https://t.co/f0YeKfHfi3

— Raiders Beat (@RaidersBeat) (h/t Zach Dresler) September 2, 2015"

Both over the top and unnecessary. Imagine Armstrong trying to explain his train of thought in the film room to the coaches on that play. Yikes.

Option No. 2: Benson Mayowa

According to Bair, Mayowa started at strong-side linebacker in the preseason finale against his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, but finished with soreness that kept him out of a recent practice.

"

Norton Jr. mentioned Raiders trying Mayowa at SAM. That's happening. Thurs. was his first game there. He'll play SAM in base, DE in nickel.

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) September 4, 2015"

"

Benson Mayowa not working today. Had some knee soreness on Thursday night.

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) September 6, 2015"

No word on the severity of the soreness in Mayowa’s knee. His 6’3”, 252-pound frame matches Khalil Mack’s previous height and weight when he played strong-side linebacker in 2014.

Option No. 3: Neiron Ball

Ball played efficiently with the second-unit for the majority of the preseason and stepped into the starting weak-side linebacker position in the season finale, per PFF.

His steady progression in exhibition makes him a sleeper candidate to play at strong-side linebacker during the season pending Mayowa and Armstrong’s performances.

According to NFL.com’s draft analysis Lance Zierlein, Ball possesses a skill set suitable to play both strong-side and weak-side linebacker:

"

Good athlete with adequate play strength for his size. Willing to take on lead blockers and play physically against the run. Plays with toughness. Played outside 'backer in a 3-4 and 4-3 and took reps at inside 'backer. Stays square to line of scrimmage, using controlled footwork to slide along line of scrimmage. Has ability to cover man to man. 

"

His strength allows him to play the run, and his ability to cover man to man could neutralize receiving tight ends as well as running backs who leak out into the flat for short passes.

Who starts?

A clean bill of health should solidify Mayowa as the starting strong-side linebacker in Week 1. He played under Norton in Seattle during the 2013 season. Clearly there’s a belief that he’s ready for a starting role. Mayowa showed flashes of an ability to push the pocket in the preseason while outperforming Armstrong.

Player	Snaps	PFF Grade	Missed Tackles	Targeted	Recs Allowed	Yards Allowed	QB Hurries
Benson Mayowa	93	1.4	0	2	1	21	3
Ray-Ray Armstrong	89	-5.2	2	8	6	52	0
Neiron Ball	77	0.5	0	0	0	0	2

Despite an impressive offseason, Armstrong still needs to refine his skills and cancel out unnecessary antics on the field. He became a passing target in the preseason, which seems surprising considering his stint as a defensive back at Miami (Fla.) in the college ranks. 

Ball will continue to fill in the gaps at both linebacker positions. The fifth-round pick could develop into a special player if he remains healthy.

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All statistics are provided by Profootball-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.

Raiders transactions provided by Raiders.com. 

Preseason game statistics provided by NFL.com.