Before being traded to the Colts, Sio Moore was expected to start at weakside linebacker for the Raiders. However, he had reportedly fallen out of favor with new head coach Jack Del Rio, which is why he became expendable, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
“He wasn’t going to make our team,” Del Rio said. “We had depth there that we’re really happy about.”
That depth he is talking about comes with free agent pickups Malcolm Smith, Curtis Lofton, and Lorenzo Alexander, as well as Ray Ray Armstrong and draft picks Ben Heeney and Neiron Ball.
“We brought in two free agent linebackers that are both playing really well. We brought in two draft picks that are both playing pretty well. We developed a guy at the position that’s returning in Ray-Ray and we added a guy that we think is a real core difference maker on special teams,” said Del Rio. “We’ve got a full group. It was an opportunity to acquire a pick for a guy that somebody else may want to have.”
The Raiders will receive a 2016 sixth-round pick in exchange for Moore.