The Oakland Raiders officially announced the signing of former New York Giants safety Curtis Riley to a one-year deal. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Riley is coming off a career year for the Giants in which he started in all 16 games at the free safety position, accumulating 75 tackles, four interceptions and five passes defended.
While the 26-year-old thrived in pass coverage, he unfortunately didn’t enjoy the same success when defending the run. Riley missed a league-high 23 tackles during the 2018 NFL seasoon and was graded poorly by Pro Football Focus in run-stop situations.
A Fresno State product, Riley is reunited with Derek Carr. The two were teammates during the 2013 season and helped guide the Bulldogs to an impressive 11-2 record in the Mountain West Conference.
Riley joins a revamped Oakland secondary that also includes newcomers Lamarcus Joyner and Nevin Lawson. Barring any additions in free agency or the 2019 NFL Draft, Riley could potentially start alongside Karl Joseph in the defensive backfield.
The Raiders have been busy retooling their defense this offseason, additionally signing Vontaze Burfict to a one-year deal. Improving the pass rush remains a priority and figures to be addressed in April’s NFL Draft.
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