ALAMEDA, Calif. – Nick Roach lined up at middle linebacker, barked out a coverage adjustment, then quickly shifted behind the left side of the defensive line before bursting through to pressure Oakland rookie quarterback Tyler Wilson.
After three years of getting little production out of the position, the Raiders think they've found a remedy in the 27-year-old veteran defender.
Almost as impressive as his offseason workouts has been the rapid pace at which Roach established himself as a presence in an Oakland locker room that has been devoid of leadership for some time now.
It hasn't been easy.
Roach acknowledged few of his new teammates had even heard of him before he signed with the Raiders in March.
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