Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
The world hasn’t been kind to the Oakland Raiders‘ defensive backfield as the team could be down to just one Week 1 starter left on the roster for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnathan Abram has been on the injured reserve since after Week 1 and now Karl Joseph joins him. Both men will not return this season. Gareon Conley was traded to the Houston Texans and now LaMarcus Joyner could miss time with an injury. That would leave Daryl Worley as the only defensive back who started in Week 1 who could play in Week 11.
Because of this fact, the Raiders already added safety D.J. Swearinger and now it’s looking like they could be interested in bringing more help. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team held a workout for former Seattle Seahawks defensive back DeShawn Shead.
Shead was with Seattle when they won the Super Bowl XLVIII and they had one of the most legendary defensive backfields in NFL history. An undrafted free agent out of Portland State, Shead is probably the least memorable name from the “Legion of Boom,” but even being able to make that roster and play in games should be considered no small feat.
He’s started 23 games in his career and most recently played for the Detroit Lions in 2018. Shead has caught two interceptions throughout his career.
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LaMarcus Joyner Questionable
As previously mentioned, starting slot cornerback LaMarcus Joyner got banged up in the game versus the Los Angeles Chargers. His injury doesn’t look to be as bad as Abram’s or Joseph’s, so he could be back relatively soon. Head coach Jon Gruden said after Monday’s practice that Joyner is “questionable” and that he hurt his hamstring. The veteran defensive back hasn’t had the best year, but he’s a team captain and brings a lot of leadership to a banged-up secondary.
Isaiah Johnson’s Role Should Expand
Rookie cornerback Isaiah Johnson saw his first regular-season NFL action against the Chargers on Thursday. He only played 1% of the team’s defensive snaps and was mainly regulated to special teams. He’s young and untested, but a game against an 0-9 Bengals team might be a good way to get him used to NFL speed. Johnson is big and fast. He has all the tools to be a good NFL cornerback.
However, he’s only been playing defense for a couple of years as he used to be a wide receiver. He could be thrust into the spotlight thanks to injuries, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Raiders have in him. Fellow rookie Trayvon Mullen looks like he could turn into a really good player. If Johnson shows the same potential, it could seriously alter the team’s draft plans for 2020. With young quarterbacks Ryan Finley and Sam Darnold on the docket for the next two games, Oakland’s pass defense could take the time to fine-tune some things. They’ve been eaten alive by the league’s top quarterbacks, so they need to take this opportunity to shut down some of the lesser quarterbacks. If Johnson can’t show promise against Finley or Darnold, he may not be a long term fit.
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