The Las Vegas Raiders have been as busy as any team in the NFL during this offseason. The storied franchise was determined to upgrade the defense and was able to do just that, bringing in players like cornerback Casey Hayward.
Hayward recently signed a deal with the Raiders after constant speculation linking him to the Silver and Black and a reunion with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
Along with Bradley getting one of his former players in the fold, Raiders general manager Mike Mayock was glad to reconnect the two while also addressing a need at corner, via Raiders.com.
“We knew we had a need at corner,” Mayock said. “We especially wanted a veteran corner. As a matter of fact, Gus Bradley and I called him together. Because Gus has such a good relationship, as does Coach [Ron] Milus… we got [Hayward] on the phone.”
Mayock has done an admirable job of working with what he has in Las Vegas and adding a mix of talented young players with proven veterans like Hayward and Yannick Ngakoue. He believes that veterans like Hayward will be important for the development of their young players.
“The whole key to him? Veteran corner,” Mayock said. “True pro. Kids in the room are going to look up to him. He works hard at it every single day. He’ll be good for them both on and off the field. We’re excited to have him.”
With Hayward now set to wear the Silver and Black in Las Vegas, it’ll be interesting to see if the Raiders are done making moves. The speculation surrounding Aaron Rodgers’ future will continue to swirl until it is resolved in Green Bay, with the Raiders mentioned as a potential landing while the team could be looking into another Bradley favorite in Melvin Ingram.
