Kirk Morrison
Kirk was an outside linebacker out of San Diego State University, drafted by the Oakland Raiders with their third round selection in the 2005 NFL Draft.
At 6'2" and 240 pounds, Morrison is what you might call a prototypical OLB. However, he was soon inserted into the middle linebacker position where he looks very solid at times but also struggles at times. Morrison is a bit undersized for a MLB, because of his height. If he gained about 15 pounds of muscle, he's be a great MLB.
However, that's not the case. Kirk is an amazing pass defender (not pass rusher). He had 4 interceptions in 2007, and in his five-year career with the Raiders he has totaled 7 interceptions. Not bad for a linebacker.
He is a tackling machine with 116 total tackles being his least (which was rookie year). However, a lot of Kirk's tackled are after the runner gains 10 yards. This is partially the defensive line's fault. Morrison struggles with behind-the-line tackles and stopping the run.
A lot of this could be attributed to not having a true Nose Tackle in his whole career. Morrison has proved he can be a sufficient Linebacker in this league, but he isn't that great at stopping the run.
What His Signing Means
Kirk Morrison signing his tender could mean one of two things:
1. He is almost definitely on his way out of Oakland
2. He is almost definitely staying in Oakland.
This all depends on what the Raiders decide to do. They can trade Kirk for a third round pick, or keep him and get a sufficient nose tackle, to see what the middle linebacker can do with a monstrous guy in front of him. Morrison grew up as a Raiders fan, and Oakland...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
