For many Raiders fans, the news that veteran free safety Reggie Nelson was met with confusion, surprise and, for some, outright anger.

However, though Nelson will be 35 years old during the 2018 playing season, there are three distinct reasons why bringing him back in coach Jon Gruden’s first season back as the team’s coach after a 17-year hiatus.

No. 1. Nelson is still an instinctual playmaker

It’s true that Nelson’s coverage abilities slipped dramatically in 2017, but they were also magnified by a litany of injuries around him in the secondary as well as terrible scheming for much of the year.

Few safeties have been able to carve out the length of career Nelson has, and that speaks directly to something to Nelson’s instincts, which remain intact even as athletes age.

After hovering around the mid-50 mark for much of last campaign, Nelson’s Pro Football Focus grade actually finished at a respectable 75.3 in 2017 due in large part to his outstanding run defense grade of 84.6.