Oakland Raiders: A few players under the biggest microscope this season
By Kevin Saito
Having cut Sean Smith and David Amerson loose, then letting T.J. Carrie walk as a free agent, Gruden and Guenther set about remaking Oakland’s secondary. Which, given how badly they’ve been abused the last few seasons, can only be a good thing.
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They’ll be building around last year’s first-round pick Gareon Conley, who, although he essentially took a medical redshirt his rookie year, has flashed tremendous upside and ability. In the limited time he was on the field last year, and throughout the early portion of the offseason work, he looks like a solid foundation to build that secondary on.
Enter Rashaan Melvin.
After getting his first real taste of a starting role last year, Melvin thrived. In ten games, he picked off three passes and defensed 13 others. Melvin usually shadowed the opposing offense’s top receiver and had tremendous success. He was the class of Indianpolis’ secondary – by far.
But, as good as he looked last year, the fact is that his resume is limited. Which is why Gruden and the Raiders got him on a one-year “prove it” deal. This is Melvin’s audition for the Raiders – and the rest of the league. If he shows out, he’s going to be looking to get paid.
Which means Gruden and his staff will be evaluating him closely to see if he is worth the money a solid season will likely net him. It’s a situation that Melvin is very much aware of and one he is looking to take full advantage of.
But, it’s also fair to say that with just one very solid year under his belt, as well as a lengthy injury history, Melvin is going to be scrutinized closely to see if he can actually “prove it.”