The Las Vegas Raiders defense has been the talk of their offseason after reports out of camp have been nothing but optimistic and positive. New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley seems to already be making progress with his guys, with Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby drawing the most rave reviews.
While the defensive line looks much improved and boasts more depth this season, the next question the Raiders will have to answer is how they perform in the secondary as that has been one of their glaring weaknesses. Las Vegas did its best to address this need in free agency after signing Casey Hayward as well as drafting several talented defensive backs in Tre’von Moehrig and Tyree Gillespie.
Aside from the new additions, it sounds like the returners have also gotten better, namely Trayvon Mullen and Johnathan Abram. The two are projected to start for the Raiders, but it seems as though Damon Arnette is also carving out a role for himself so far in camp.
“I feel a lot more comfortable. I’m healthy,” Arnette said. “I don’t have to worry about a cast. The team, we’re closer than we were last year. Just another year under our belt. Overall, on all angles, I’m confident and more comfortable.”
Arnette had a rough rookie season after he suffering head and wrist injuries, limiting him to just nine games. To make matters worse, he also had a bout with the coronavirus (COVID-19), but he noted that those experiences have helped him become a better player.
“It was a lot of new types of adversity. First-time adversities that I had trouble getting through, but I got through. Year two is going to be an exciting one.”
Arnette has not gotten a chance to live up to his first-round billing but seems poised to show the Silver and Black faithful that he can contribute next season. Even though he will be playing behind Hayward, Arnette has an opportunity to make an impact.
