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Oakland Raiders: Five Players Who Need To Show Up Big In 2016

By Kevin Saito

Feb 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Oakland Raiders helmet at Santa Monica State Beach. NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow owner Rams Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to move the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles for the 2016 season with an option also award to Raiders owner Mark Davis (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of Oakland Raiders helmet at Santa Monica State Beach. NFL owners voted 30-2 to allow owner Rams Stan Kroenke (not pictured) to move the St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles for the 2016 season with an option also award to Raiders owner Mark Davis (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oakland Raiders
Dec 27, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end E.J. Bibbs (88) is unable to catch this pass while defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City won the game 17-13. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

Sean Smith

To say that Oakland’s secondary has been a joke for a few years would be an understatement. In fact, it would be exceedingly kind. But that started to turn around last season with the acquisition of David Amerson after Washington cut him loose. It was an incredibly savvy under the radar signing by GM Reggie McKenzie that paid huge dividends for the Raiders.

Despite Amerson playing in just 14 games for the Raiders last season – and making just 12 starts – he was tied for the league lead in passes defensed with 26. It was Amerson who began to turn things around in Oakland’s secondary.

Which is what makes the Sean Smith signing so impactful. Paired with Amerson, the Raiders have the best starting cornerback tandem that they’ve had in years.

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    • The Kansas City Chiefs let Smith – very surprisingly – walk away a free agent. Their reasoning was that they needed to earmark cash for safety Eric Berry, but also because of the emergence of Marcus Peters. And to be fair, Peters had a pretty phenomenal 2015 season – one in which he tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight, and tied with Amerson for the league lead in passes defensed.

    However, it can be argued – very convincingly – that it was Smith’s presence on the other side of the field that allowed Peters to have such a terrific season.

    With opposing offenses perhaps, more reluctant to test Smith’s side of the field, Peters saw quite a few more opportunities come his way. Now granted, he still had to make those plays, but with teams throwing away from Smith, it gave Peters far more chances to do it.

    Chiefs fans though, are seemingly sold on the idea that Smith was done and that his presence had nothing to do with the emergence of Peters. More power to them.

    The Raiders are going to need Smith to step up and lock down one side of the field – and of course, Amerson needs to lock down the other. But with Oakland’s secondary seemingly trending upward with the addition of two young, athletic cornerbacks who can make big plays at big times.

    Oakland is going to need Smith to play big and help transform that once porous secondary into a fearsome fighting unit.

    Next: The Straw That Stirs The Drink

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