Entering his second season with the Raiders, Marquel Lee has already twice seen the team add a former All Pro veteran middle linebacker and plant them ahead of him as the starter. Last season it was NaVorro Bowman who the team signed after week five, and this offseason it was 35-year-old Derrick Johnson.
That isn’t to say Lee wasn’t given a shot. He absolutely was given that. The 5th round pick was the starter for the first five games of last season, but it was clear he had some shortcomings that made it impossible to keep him on the field for all three downs.