Raiders sign Tahir Whitehead to reported 3-year deal

The Oakland Raiders have signed free-agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead, the team announced Thursday. The deal is a three-year contract worth more than $6 million annually, a source told Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Whitehead, 27, gives the Raiders some much-needed help in the middle of their defense, particularly against the run. The former Detroit Lions starter notched at least 110 tackles in each of his last two seasons, adding an interception and a sack in 2017.

The six-year pro had spent his entire career with the Lions.