Oakland Raiders: Five free agent cornerbacks the team should consider

The Oakland Raiders, after a couple of terribly down years, are once again looking to rebuild their secondary this offseason – here are a few pending free agents they might want to take a look at.

A couple of seasons ago, the Oakland Raiders thought they had a tandem of corners in Sean Smith and David Amerson who were going to help lock down the opposing passing game. After Amerson’s breakout 2015 season and Smith’s reputation coming in, it seemed like a reasonable belief at the time.

Yet, here we are in the 2017 offseason and Oakland has fielded one of the absolute worst passing defenses in the NFL after lavishing mammoth contracts on the pair.

Smith rallied late last year – mostly after the firing of Ken Norton Jr and subsequent elevation of John Pagano – and put together better performances on the field than had since he signed. But, his tenure with Oakland can really only be described as disastrous.

Amerson, picked up off the street after being tossed aside by Washington in 2015, had a breakout year for the team. But, his play declined in 2016, and this past season, a lingering injury kept him off the field for most of the year.

Given their sub-par performances, along with Smith’s pending legal issues – issues that could potentially see him do some serious time behind bars – it seems unlikely that either are back for the 2018 season.

Let’s also not forget that by parting ways with the pair, the Raiders can save about $14 million under the cap, with the biggest key being that they’ll suffer no dead money in the process. The team needs some flexibility under the cap with Khalil Mack‘s deal coming due – and they still need to find ways to upgrade the talent around him.

The Raiders may look to the Draft to find a young, talented playmaker who they can pair with Gareon Conley – who will hopefully make a bigger contribution to the team than he did in his rookie year. But, it would be wise to add a veteran voice to that cornerbacks group.

It’s possible they could convince T.J. Carrie to return, but they might be better served to save the cap space by letting him walk. Yes, he was the best of Oakland’s cornerbacks this year, but that was a profoundly low bar to clear, so let’s not make it out like he was Darrelle Revis in his prime.

No, with a few talented corners set to hit the open market, the Raiders should dip into free agency to add a veteran to what will likely be a young secondary in 2018.

With that in mind, let’s look at a few names the Raiders might want to consider…