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Shilique Calhoun Making Transitions

By Carl Cockerham

Jun 15, 2016; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders linebacker Shilique Calhoun (91) and coach Jack Del Rio at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2016; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders linebacker Shilique Calhoun (91) and coach Jack Del Rio at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Will Oakland Raiders 2016 third-round pick Shilique Calhoun see the field this year?

All-Pro DE/OLB Khalil Mack has one of the edge-rusher spots and Bruce Irvin has the other. We won’t see the two come off the field often but still, you can’t have too many edge-rushers. When one of them needs a break or (God forbid) get injured, you want as little drop-off as possible.

So along with Damontre Moore, whom they got this offseason in free agency, they picked Shilique Calhoun in the  third-round of the draft. The three-time, second-team All-American had 44 tackles for a loss He had 27 sacks in 54 games as a dominant defensive end in college.

But now, Calhoun not only has to adapt to the NFL, he has to adapt to switching positions. The Raiders aren’t a base 4-3 team like his Michigan State Spartans were. The Raiders are more of a base 3-4 team so Calhoun has to stand up and sometimes drop in coverage.

During the offseason program he spent much more time standing up than he did with his hand in the dirt, getting a chance to drop in coverage and play in space. And the 6’5″, 250-pound Calhoun showed he is athletic enough to do so and has actually enjoyed the new roles.

He recently sat down for an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio and expressed how much, saying, “It’s different, but it’s fun. I’m having a great time doing it. I’m having fun with a great group of guys who you may not have known if you didn’t play the sport.”

Again, Mack and Irvin are guys that will rarely, if ever, come off the field. So Calhoun isn’t just learning how to play OLB, he’s learning how to play both OLB positions. They’ve been durable in their respective careers so far but you never know if or when either Mack or Irvin will go down.

Calhoun said of it, “I’ve been playing a little bit of everything. “I’ve been moving around, but I’m mainly at strongside linebacker and the LEO. I’m trying to learn those two positions and master them behind two great players in Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin.”

Calhoun is one play away from starting so this is a good sign for the Raiders.

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