Raiders Sign Archuleta to Play ... Linebacker

It sucks to be Greg Wesley today. The Raiders released the safety just a few weeks after signing him to make room on the roster for Adam Archuleta. And, yes, that would be the same Adam Archuleta who spent two inglorious seasons with the Redskins and Bears before mercifully getting released.

Well, he's back in the league, not as a defensive back, but at his old college position: linebacker. No, really. I suppose this could be worse -- I mean, the Raiders could've signed Archuleta to play safety.

Luckily, Oakland's secondary is set -- on paper, they're one of the best units in the AFC. The linebacker position could use some depth, and, apparently that's what Archuleta adds.

The Oakland Tribune's Jerry McDonald has all the gory details:

Archuleta is listed at 225 pounds and said he has put on some weight from the "215 or 216" he was at in recent weeks. The Raiders already have smallish starters in Kirk Morrison and Howard, and reserve Jon Alston is also in the 225 to 230 pound range.

"You've got to be smart, use your speed," Archuleta said. "I played four years at ASU at 200 pounds. I played inside the box my whole career in the NFL . . . being down there with the big boys is really nothing new to me."

Archuleta admitted to thinking about moving to linebacker after getting axed by the Bears. And since he can't cover anybody but is a decent tackler, this seems like a smart move. Hopefully, the Cowboys' Roy Williams is paying attention, because this could be him in the very near future.