Raiders reportedly sign cornerback Prince Amukamara
By Justin Fried
The Las Vegas Raiders have reportedly agreed to terms on a deal that would land veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara in Vegas.
The Las Vegas Raiders have seemingly added some much-needed veteran cornerback depth with the reported signing of nine-year pro Prince Amukamara.
After the deal for Eli Apple fell through earlier in the offseason, the Raiders have managed to sign another former New York Giants’ first-round cornerback.
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As first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Amukamara is expected to sign with the Raiders in the near future. While Garafolo indicated that there is “still some work that needs to be done” he also said that the overall terms have been agreed to.
Barring another Eli Apple situation, Amukamara should be on his way to Las Vegas.
The Raiders went into the offseason looking to reshape their cornerback room. Gareon Conley was shipped away at the trade deadline last season and 2019 starter Daryl Worley was let go in free agency.
That left 2019 second-round pick Trayvon Mullen as the only incumbent starter on the outside with Lamarcus Joyner continuing to man the slot. The team ignored the position in free agency, but did make some additions in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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The Raiders selected Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette in the first round and the expectation was that he was set to start alongside Mullen to begin the year. Now, with the addition of Amukamara, that might not be the case.
The 30-year-old has spent the last three seasons starting in the excellent Chicago Bears secondary. Amukamara earned a very solid 67.4 Pro Football Focus grade last year that ranked him 44th among all cornerbacks.
Certainly a viable starting candidate, and someone who will allow Arnette to be eased into starting role much like Mullen was last year.
The Raiders also selected Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson in the fourth-round and the physical defensive back could see some snaps in 2020 as well. Although it’s more likely that those snaps will come in the slot than on the outside.
The Amukamara signing gives the team more flexibility at the position and allows them not to rely on their younger players early on. Especially given the uncertainty surrounding training camp this year, it will likely be harder than ever before for rookies to get acquainted with the NFL.
The learning curve is already steep, but it will be even steeper this offseason.
Now, Arnette is a more pro-ready prospect than most so there is hope that he should be able to see significant playing time early on, even with the current situation.
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But at the very least, Amukamara adds depth and experience to a position group that was lacking both. And now, the position is a lot more stabilized.