Getty Los Angeles Chargers WR Keenan Allen.
Free agency is wrapping up for many teams, but there are still a number of solid players still available. Cornerback T.J. Carrie has started a lot of games for the Raiders and Cleveland Browns, but he’s no longer on the market. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Carrie is heading to the Indianapolis Colts.
The cornerback made his biggest mark when he was with the Raiders. He started 36 of 60 games in four years, which is impressive for a former seventh-round pick. After his stint in Oakland, he got a pretty big contract from the Browns but started less than half of the games he played for the team. They cut ties with him before free agency this year and now he’ll get a fresh start with the Colts. He likely won’t go to be a starter, but he’s a solid depth addition.
Raiders Still Need CB Help
Considering the Raiders have a pretty big need at cornerback, reuniting with Carrie would’ve been interesting, but obviously, the team wasn’t interested. Las Vegas is likely out of money to use on free agents, so they probably won’t make any moves until after the draft. As of now, it looks like the Raiders will have Eli Apple and Trayvon Mullen as their starters at cornerback.
That isn’t the ideal lineup for the team, so it’s very possible they try to find a cornerback early in the draft. Jeff Okudah out of Ohio State is the premier player at the position, but it seems impossible that he’ll fall to the Raiders at number 12. However, CBS Sports released a recent mock draft that has Okudah falling:
It’s hard to imagine Okudah falls this far but with several trades in the top 10, and a run on QBs and OTs, Okudah is still available here at No. 12. The Raiders could opt instead for a wide receiver but they have bigger needs in the secondary and Okudah is the best CB in this class.
Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden would be doing cartwheels at Raiders HQ if this actually happened. Okudah is good enough to get selected in the top five picks. Talents like him don’t typically fall out of the top 10. That said, there are teams that need quarterbacks and offensive linemen. It’s possible Okudah falls because of the teams selecting ahead of the Raiders don’t think they need a cornerback as bad as they need other positions. It would be huge for the silver and black if that happens.
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Maliek Collins & Eric Kush Signings Become Official
This year’s free agency has been rather unorthodox. Instead of holding big press conferences or making announcements, the Raiders have quietly been making moves official on its website. On Monday, they made the signings of Maliek Collins and Eric Kush official.
Eli Apple, Nick O’Leary and Daniel Ross are the only reported signings that have yet to become official. At some point, the Raiders will likely hold some sort of conference to introduce the new players, but it will probably still be a while.
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