There are still a number of talented players available in free agency who can help a team get over the hump for the 2024 NFL season. For the Las Vegas Raiders, one area that could still use some improvement is the secondary, and cornerback in particular.
The trio of Jack Jones, Nate Hobbs, and Jakorian Bennett is a young group that has shown some promise, but none had more than two interceptions. In fact, no Raiders player had more than three last season, and a veteran addition could be in order.
According to Moe Moton of Bleacher Report, the Raiders could be in the market for a veteran corner in free agency with the likes of Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard and Adoree Jackson still available:
Still wouldn’t surprise me if the #Raiders circle back to the free-agent cornerback market.
Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard and Adoree’ Jackson are still out there.
Howard (before injury) and Jackson have played under Patrick Graham.
Steven Nelson would be a good fit, too.
— Moe Moton (@MoeMoton) April 29, 2024
Gilmore is a former Defensive Player of the Year and is coming off a strong season with the Dallas Cowboys, in which he set a career-high in total tackles. Howard is a two-time All-Pro who suffered a foot injury at the end of last season but has been cleared for all football activities. He has 29 career interceptions. Jackson has spent the last three seasons with the New York Giants and has 56 passes defensed in his seven-year career.
Having a veteran presence in the back end of the defense can have many benefits, both on the field and in the locker room. For a Raiders defense that has struggled to create turnovers the past couple of years, fortifying the secondary is a necessity.
With a defensive line led by Maxx Crosby and free agent addition Christian Wilkins and the pressure they can create, the secondary could have many opportunities to make big plays, and bringing in one of those veterans could pay huge dividends.
Raiders agree to one-year, $3 million deal with WR Michael Gallup
The Raiders are eyeing a veteran addition on defense because they’ve already made one on the other side of the ball. The team signed former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup to a one-year, $3 million deal.
Gallup had a promising start to his career with the Cowboys but has struggled to regain his form since a torn ACL in 2021. But perhaps a change of scenery will allow him to return to the form he showed years ago.
