The Las Vegas Raiders are being considered as a potential destination for a star cornerback in the upcoming offseason, according to reports. Despite facing a challenging season, the Raiders’ defense stood out as a bright spot, especially after a strategic focus on improvement in the previous season, primarily through the draft to strengthen their defensive backfield. However, there is speculation that they may turn to free agency this offseason to acquire a top-tier cornerback.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports suggests that the Raiders could be an attractive landing spot for a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. The team experienced a significant defensive turnaround following the dismissal of head coach Josh McDaniels and the appointment of linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach. Under Pierce’s guidance, the Raiders led the NFL in scoring defense (16.0) from Week 9 through the end of the 2023 regular season.
Despite these improvements, Podell highlights that there is still room for the Raiders to enhance their defense, particularly in pass coverage. The team ranked 22nd in passing yards allowed per game (226.0) under Pierce last season. This emphasizes the secondary as an area requiring improvement as Pierce takes on the role of the team’s full-time head coach for the upcoming season.
Furthermore, the potential departure of starting cornerback Amik Robertson, set to become a free agent, creates an opening that the speculated Pro Bowl cornerback, referred to as Howard, could potentially fill. With the Raiders projected to have the 10th-most cap space in the league this offseason ($48.7 million), as reported by OverTheCap.com, the financial capacity exists to make the addition of Howard a viable option.
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