Oakland Raiders: 6 Players Who Should Become Ex-Raiders This Offseason
By Kevin Saito
A free agent this offseason, T.J. Carrie makes for a tough decision for Gruden and McKenzie.
He was, arguably, the best cornerback the Raiders had this year. However, given how low that bar was, that’s not really saying a whole lot.
Carrie outplayed Dexter McDonald, Antonio Hamilton (but then, who doesn’t?) as well as a declining Sean Smith, sure. He also was on the field more than David Amerson and first-round pick Gareon Conley, so he earns the label of “best corner on the team” almost by default.
Carrie getting that label is almost like winning an ugly contest.
More from Las Vegas Raiders News
- Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
- Raiders: Bryan Edwards out, Henry Ruggs doubtful for Sunday
- Raiders: Damon Arnette re-injures thumb, could be headed to IR
- Raiders fall short in letdown Week 3 loss to the New England Patriots
- Raiders: Game breakdown and prediction for Week 3 at New England Patriots
But, a decision still needs to be made. With the secondary getting a hard makeover – Conley figures to play a bigger role next season, and the team will likely look to draft a cornerback – they will need veteran leadership. And Carrie could potentially provide that for this team.
However, we’ve pretty much seen his ceiling, as far as on-field performance, and we should be comfortable saying that he’s never going to be a number one, shutdown-type cornerback. He’s decent enough on the outside, though better in the slot, and he can be a pretty valuable rotation (and fill-in) piece.
That being said, he’s also going to be looking to get paid. Given that, as mentioned previously, we’ve already seen his ceiling, his payday isn’t going to be massive. But, given the need for reliable corners around the league, it could be somewhat substantial.
Provided that he can stay healthy, the team might be better served to stick with David Amerson in 2018 as his ceiling is still far higher than Carrie’s. Conley may be on the other side, meaning the team will need to look to the draft to get another corner.
If Carrie and the Raiders can come to an agreement that makes sense for both sides – meaning, one that satisfies Carrie while not overpaying and keeping maximum flexibility under the cap, that should be the only scenario for the team bringing him back.
This team needs solid, dependable, and reliable play from their corners. They can’t keep being okay with mediocrity.