Among the many personnel changes: Brayton and Sam Williams, both former defensive ends, are now officially pass-rushing linebackers -- even though Brayton still sports a D-line number (91).
While the switch to outside linebacker is a comfortable fit for Williams, who excelled there while at Fresno State -- "I felt lost out there as a defensive end," he admitted -- Brayton has been reluctant to concede his defensive-line roots.
"I'm still holding on to D-line for life," said Brayton, who was an Outland Trophy and All-America candidate as a defensive end for Colorado. "I guess in the official roster I'm a linebacker."
"It's definitely a change, from having your hand in the dirt to now being up, in a two-point stance. You see a whole lot more of the field, a lot more of the game. And it's a good thing because with it, there comes a whole lot more responsibility."
Like pass protection. In Saturday's shoulder pads and helmets morning practice, the rangy 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brayton dropped back 15 yards into coverage on one play.
But the '05 Raiders defense, as Turner has pointed out, is being built around speed and versatility. The reluctance at this early stage to commit to one front, either last season's unsuccessful 3-4 or the 4-3, is an indication that the defensive coaches want to see exactly how the new personnel fits into the overall packages.
In the 4-3, Burgess seems a natural fit as at left defensive end, alongside tackle Ted Washington, with Warren Sapp or free agent addition Kenny Smith at the right tackle spot and perhaps Akbar Gbaja-Biamila or Grant Irons or veteran Bobby Hamilton at right end.
In the 3-4, the linebacker corps of Brayton and Williams on the outside, with run stopper Danny Clark and veteran free agent Jay Foreman inside, could be the answer for a team that once struggled to stop anyone on third down.
