When looking at the Las Vegas Raiders current depth chart, some promising names at the cornerback position come up. Trayvon Mullen looked great last year, and he has the potential to be even better. Isaiah Johnson shows promise if he can stay healthy. Nevin Lawson and Keisean Nixon also have potential.
With that being said, the Raiders porous defense could use all the help it can get, especially when they’re starting against Patrick Mahomes twice a year.
Here are some corners available this offseason that could give the Raiders a boost.
Chris Harris Jr., 31
As a member of the Broncos for the last five years, Raider Nation has unfortunately gotten to know Harris quite well.
In spite of being a difference maker, multiple teams were calling Denver about Harris at last year’s trade deadline, and so far, they haven’t shown any interest in giving him a long-term deal. That contract won’t be cheap, as Spotrac projects him to receive a contract worth $11 million annually this offseason.
Marcus Mariota throws his first interception of the year to Chris Harris. #Broncos have another chance at points before the half. pic.twitter.com/JwcSDPITyF
— Joe Rowles (@JoRo_NFL) October 13, 2019
Is Harris worth it? Yes, especially for a historically bad Raiders defense. He is as versatile as it gets, as he’s shown the ability to line up both inside and outside in pass coverage. At 5’10” and 199 pounds, he’s undersized but more than able to shadow big bodied players as well. He’s over 30, but hasn’t shown any signs of a decline. If the Raiders have the money, Harris would be a great add.
Logan Ryan, 29
Like Harris, Logan Ryan is a corner with the versatility Las Vegas is lacking on the perimeter.
Ryan is one of the more underrated free agents this upcoming free agency, especially with bigger names like Byron Jones and Harris hogging the headlines. Logan’s coming off his seventh season, one in which he had four interceptions and a very impressive 113 tackles. Moreover, he brought happiness to Raider Nation by knocking off the Patriots with this play:
Rewatching the final quarter of the #TENvsNE game, there were so many times it felt that the Titans were about to see their lead slip away.
But Logan Ryan’s pick-6 was the final nail in the Patriots coffin, and it sounded so sweet as it was being hammered down. pic.twitter.com/qzUV68KFip
— fintroopers (@fintroopers) January 5, 2020
Like Harris, Ryan is able to line up both inside and outside, and play well in both spots. His ability to defend the pass and tackle is something the Raiders’ defense has been lacking for a very long-time. If the Raiders have the chance, they need to bring in Logan Ryan this offseason.
James Bradberry, 27
Bradberry is a solid player who could be a surprise bargain signing this offseason. His NFL career is a story of success, reliability, and steady improvement.
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First, Bradberry isn’t a star at his position, but he’s built himself a solid resume. He’s never jumped off the stat sheet in his career, and last year, he recorded three interceptions and had 12 passes defensed. He was really good at stopping his opponents featured receivers, which is very impressive considering he’s had to face Michael Thomas, Julio Jones and Mike Evans twice a year. He’s proven to be a successful corner, and he’s been able to consistently contain big name players.
Next, Bradberry has seen the field a lot in his four NFL seasons. He started 13 games his rookie year, and he’s started 60 out of 64 possible games.
Finally, his improvement. While he’s been good throughout his career, Bradberry has just recently begun evolving into the elite cornerback Panther’s fans envisioned him to be when he was drafted. His numbers didn’t look much different, but his impact was felt when playing top tier receivers and making plays like this:
On the first play of the game…
JAMES BRADBERRY PICK! @brad_b21
📺: #CARvsTB on @NFLNetwork | @NFLUK
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/xLc7ljuEnj pic.twitter.com/Xn6fBdweVm— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2019
Chris Harris, Logan Ryan, and James Bradberry are three corners who would bring a lot of value a Raiders defense that could really use it. If Las Vegas can nab any of these three, the defense will look much better in 2020.
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