Getty Oakland Raiders CB Gareon Conley
Second-year cornerback Gareon Conley made an impression right out of the gate during the Oakland Raiders’ Week 4 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Early in the first quarter, the second-year cornerback sent the crowd into a frenzy with a pick-six of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield to grab a 7-0 lead.
Unfortunately, he didn’t build off that starting point, though. And after some struggles throughout the remainder of the game, it seems his role moving forward could be in trouble.
As Raiders Beat first transcribed, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur spoke on his State of the Nation podcast about how Daryl Worley’s return could impact Conley. In short, it sounds like the former Ohio State star may take a hit in terms of playing time due to his struggles.
“I think, you talk about the coaches focusing on the bad plays more than the good ones, Conley didn’t finish the game,” The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said on the State of the Nation podcast this week. “He’s made some plays but I think there’s some concern about the plays he doesn’t make. His tackling has not been great so Daryl Worley is back from suspension next week and so I think Conley is going to be guy that affects the most.”
Daryl Worley’s Impact on Gareon Conley’s Role
Obviously, it’s unknown what role Worley will play, but the coaching staff seemed to like the free-agent signing throughout the offseason. As Football Outsiders shows, Conley played 68 percent of the snaps last week, while Rashaan Melvin was on the field for 88 percent.
It does seem as though there’s a chance Conley could lose some work, especially since the coaching staff apparently likes what Melvin is doing. Stay tuned, because how Paul Guenther and company opt to roll out Worley in the defense this week will be an intriguing talking point.
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