What It Means:

He'll be replacing Curtis Lofton, who looked sluggish in games last year. Heeney should be a big upgrade if he carries his production into a full-time role. "He's smart, he's fast and he's relentless,'' defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. said. "He has a nose for the ball, very instinctive. He's always getting better. You can't get him out of the film room." It's a big sign that Heeney will wear the green dot on his helmet as Oakland's signal caller this year.

Our algorithms project Heeney for 80.03 tackles and 3.59 sacks in 2016. The Raiders' defense ranked 22nd in Adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points per play in 2015.