The Las Vegas Raiders defense was abysmal last season. Aside from Maxx Crosby, the team could not get a consistent pass rush and was unable to create many turnovers to help their offense with good field position. In particular, the secondary is something that needs upgrades.
The Raiders ranked 29th in passing yards allowed and totaled just six interceptions all season long, the second-fewest in the league. And two of those six came from linebacker Denzel Perryman who is no longer with the team.
The Raiders have already made some moves to help shore up the back end of the defense, bringing in safety Marcus Epps and cornerback Brandon Facyson. And now the team is adding some more depth to their secondary by agreeing to a one-year deal with former Los Angeles Rams cornerback David Long Jr., via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk:
Las Vegas is signing cornerback David Long Jr. to a one-year deal, according to Jordan Schultz of TheScore.com.
A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, Long appeared in 52 games with 10 starts for the Rams in his first four seasons. He started 16 games with five starts in 2021, recording an interception in the regular season and the postseason as Los Angeles won Super Bowl LVI.
While he isn’t the flashiest name, Long is a solid rotational piece who has appeared in nearly every game for the Rams over the past three seasons, including their Super Bowl run in 2021-22. That Super Bowl season was his best year to date as he finished the year with 40 tackles, four passes defensed and one interception, adding another pick that was returned for a TD in the Rams’ Wildcard round win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Raiders simply need to improve their overall depth and talent in the secondary and this move appears to be a step in that direction. But the Raiders could also be losing other pieces with both cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and safety Duron Harmon, who was second on the team in tackles last year, still free agents. How this secondary shapes out the remainder of this offseason will be one of the most important things to watch with the Raiders.
Marcus Epps calls it a ‘surreal moment’ to join the Raiders
The biggest addition to the Raiders’ defense so far this offseason is safety Marcus Epps and the California native is extremely excited to join the organization.
“I mean, it’s just a storied franchise,” Epps said at his introductory press conference. I mean, legendary franchise, legendary organization, and that uniform is just a classic look.
“It’s one of those franchises that growing up as a kid, if I thought about as a kid, like, ‘Hey, you’re going to play for the Raiders,’ it’s like a surreal moment. So, definitely grateful to be here.”
