All week the Las Vegas Raiders have been big game hunting when it came to defensive backs, and on Wednesday they got the help they needed — even if it wasn’t necessarily the help they wanted.
On Monday, after cornerback Byron Jones chose the Miami Dolphins, reports surfaced that the Raiders had actually offered Jones more money — but with a less favorable pay structure. With Jones gone, the Raiders turned their attention to the second-best corner on the market: Chris Harris Jr.
Unfortunately, history repeated itself — as the Raiders offered Harris a three-year deal, which he turned down to sign with the Tyrod-Taylor-led-Chargers in Los Angeles on a two-year contract. All of which brings us to the guy the Raiders did sign…
Eli Apple, terms unknown
While Apple may not have been their first choice, he’s still a prominent upgrade over the departed Daryl Worley. According to The Athletic’s top 100 free agents entering the week, Apple was No. 42 — 23 spots behind Harris and 36 spots behind Jones. For reference, though, he’s 48 spots ahead of Worley.
Apple was a first-round pick (10th overall) of the New York Giants in 2016 but will be playing for his third team in five years after being traded to the New Orleans Saints in the middle of the 2018 season. The good news for Apple — besides the physical tools he obviously possesses — is that he’s incredibly young (he turns 25 in August).
Verdict: The Raiders clearly needed some help at corner and with talent flying off the board, the Raiders did well to land Apple. The upside is there, and he honestly seems to be a better scheme fit than Harris would have been, so if they can unlock some of his potential, this could be a strong signing. Without knowing the exact terms it’s hard to know how to grade this one.
In other news, it appears the Raiders still may be looking to add another cornerback as they were linked to Darius Slay of the Detroit Lions in trade talks. He wound up being dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles early Thursday morning, however.
