Stuart

Schweigert

Schweigert, 27, lost his starting job due to poor open-field tackling last year. He isn’t great in that area or much of a ballhawk, but adds experience behind second-year starting safeties LaRon Landry and Reed Doughty.

Darius will immediately provide competition for Michael Huff and Stuart Schweigert. Huff and Darius are a closer match in skill set as run stuffers, but Schweigert seems more likely to lose his job. The Raiders have done a nice job rebuilding their secondary.

He could contend for a starting position later on, but Darius’ main role initially will be in the team’s “Wolverine” or three-safety nickel package. Stuart Schweigert remains at free safety with Michael Huff at the strong spot.

Michael Huff was viewed as a potential cornerback coming from Texas and Darius is a run stuffer, so playing Darius at his natural strong safety spot would seem to make the most sense. Schweigert is likely to lose his first-team status.

Michael Huff mostly played the strong side last year while Stuart Schweigert manned the free spot. This season, Huff and Schweigert will play both to disguise coverages. Both safeties should be adequate IDP picks in 2007.

Schweigert lost his starting job after getting injured halfway through last season, and with the addition of SS Gibril Wilson and rookie DB Tyvon Branch, he was deemed expendable. Hiram Eugene has more job safety.

Huff finished his second year with 85 tackles, one pick, a forced fumble, and five breakups. Free safety would make sense because Stuart Schweigert may not be back and Huff could use his cover skills more there. The Raiders figure to look for a true run stuffer at strong safety this offseason.

The Raiders consider their safeties interchangeable, but we suspect they’ll use Wilson more in the box and let Michael Huff patrol the deep middle, assuming Huff isn’t traded. Wilson picked off a career-high four passes last year. He’s now overpaid, but is a better tackler than Stuart Schweigert. Schweigert will likely battle Hiram Eugene to be Oakland’s third safety.