Getty Images Vontaze Burfict wasn’t out of work long. Burfict was released by the Bengals on Monday, but he was on his way to Oakland to visit with the Raiders on Monday and that meeting was all it took for him to land another job. The Raiders announced that Burfict has signed with the team on Tuesday night. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports Burfict has signed a one-year contract worth up to $5 million if he reaches incentives. The move reunites Burfict with defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who was the Bengals’ linebackers coach during Burfict’s first two NFL seasons and Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2017. It also makes him teammates with wide receiver Antonio Brown, who was on the receiving end of a shot to the head from Burfict late in a January 2016 playoff game. The hit made Burfict a villain in Pittsburgh and helped set the stage for Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster to lay out Burfict with a block in a 2017 game. The prospect of seeing Brown and Burfict hash things out may make the Raiders appealing to Hard Knocks producers this summer.<doc-sep>KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 21: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) talks with back judge Steve Patrick (17) before a week 7 NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs on October 21, 2018 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The Chiefs won 45-10. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Oakland Raiders defense is in need of a lot of help. And coordinator Paul Guenther will now see a very familiar face in linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Once again, the transaction wire for the Oakland Raiders is extremely busy. Last offseason and evening during the fall, players were coming and going at quite the pace. This year, head coach Jon Gruden and new general manager Mike Mayock have been busy restocking the cupboards. The Raiders gave big money to wide receiver Antonio Brown and tackle Trent Brown, the former acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Silver and Black also added wide receiver Tyrell Williams and free safety Lamarcus Joyner from the Chargers and Rams, respectively. But the latest move, the signing of linebacker Vontaze Burfict, is extremely fascinating. The talented but controversial defender, cut loose by the Cincinnati Bengals, is reunited with his former coordinator Paul Guenther. Contract details The NFL Network tandem of Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report that Burfict has inked a one-year, $5 million deal with the Silver and Black. National reaction New Raiders LB Vontaze Burfict: 'I'm not a dirty player. I play a physical positon …. I can't go out there playing patty-cake. … If I play soft, I'm not doing my job." — Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 20, 2019 In 2012, Raiders G.M. Mike Mayock had a low opinion of new Raiders LB Vontaze Burfict https://t.co/N9EHZmgLFZ — ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 20, 2019 Vontaze Burfict on joining his former rival Antonio Brown in Oakland: "There’s nothing negative here. . . we’re trying to win a championship." pic.twitter.com/39j3QO503q — SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) March 20, 2019 Vontaze Burfict called his mother right after his Bengals tenure ended. His second call was to Paul Guenther. “He didn’t pick up. I think I called him like seven times straight.” Vontaze Burfict wastes no time reuniting with Raiders DC Paul Guenther https://t.co/I9WKX7RWVO pic.twitter.com/cAAMfat7TX — Scott Bair (@BairNBCS) March 20, 2019 VONTAZE BURFICT LB, Oakland Raiders C+ The talent has always been there and if the grade was strictly based on performance, it would perhaps be a lot higher. But Burfict comes with plenty of baggage and not because it’s a long trip from the Queen City to the Bay Area. Still, he joins a defensive unit that is in dire need of playmakers as well as a change in demeanor. The Raiders have been substandard on this side of the ball for too many years and the front seven is short on talent. Only two teams in the league allowed more rushing yards per game this past season than the Silver and Black. Some of that is on the defensive line, which figures to get more help via the draft. As for Burfict, he know exactly what Guenther likes to do. Now he just needs to stay on the field long enough to achieve those “goals.” Can Burfict be a tone-setter for Guenther’s defense? Can the Raiders finally turn things around on this side of the ball? Again, April’s draft will have a big say in the matter. But the addition of the former Bengals’ performer is eye-opening for many reasons.<doc-sep>
Tuesday afternoon, the Raiders announced they have signed former Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The deal is reportedly for one year and $5M, which is exactly the sort of ‘prove-it’ deal one might expect for a player with a history as spotted with injuries and suspensions as Burfict’s. This move was an obvious one, considering Burfict played his best football under Raiders DC Paul Guenther when he was DC of the Bengals, and the Raiders had a massive need at linebacker. Burfict said today that the first person he called upon getting cut by Cincinnati was his mother, and the second person was Guenther. With the two being so close, it’s no wonder the Raiders had interest in the much-maligned but physical linebacker. Burfict is still only 28 years old, and passed his physical with the Raiders, apparently showing no ill effects from the number of concussions he has suffered throughout his career. It is possible that he will line up at one of the outside linebacker spots along with Tahir Whitehead, giving the Raiders an even more physical presence on the outside, or he could move back to middle linebacker as he was early in his career, and where Guenther often used him. The Raiders could still address the linebacker position in the draft or with another minor free agency acquisition, but Burfict (if he stays out of trouble) is a good start to fixing their problems in the front seven. Update: Numbers on Burfict one-year deal far more favorable (and smarter) than first thought