Getty Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Las Vegas Raiders are having a rough week. They got blown out by the New England Patriots on Sunday and then news dropped on Tuesday that rookie first-round pick Damon Arnette could be heading to the injured reserve. The New York Giants decided to come in and make things even worse.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, New York is signing rookie defensive back Madre Harper off the Raiders’ practice squad.
Normally, it wouldn’t matter much if an undrafted rookie got poached from you but the Raiders were high on Harper. He was a raw talent but has elite athletic traits. The team was high enough on him to promote him from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Patriots. He didn’t end up playing but the team wouldn’t have promoted him if they didn’t think he was coming along nicely.
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The Move Makes Sense for Harper
While the Raiders probably would’ve loved to keep Harper, and it sounds like he was apprehensive to leave before the Giants threw money at him, the move makes sense. He almost got a chance to play with the Raiders on Sunday but they put him on the inactive list heading into the game.
The Giants have had a rough start to the season and are 0-3. There’s going to be a lot more opportunity for him to see the field with them. He’s not going to go in and start right now but he’s clearly got good upside. Now, Harper is very raw and there’s a reason he went undrafted. He’s got work to do to become a solid NFL quarterback. He has all the intangibles you’d like to see but his technique needs work.
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Raiders Might Need Help at CB
The loss of Harper will certainly sting the Raiders but it’s made a lot worse by the fact that Damon Arnette is likely going to miss some time. He’s been the starter opposite Trayvon Mullen all season and while he’s struggled at times, he was getting better.
Harper wasn’t going to be the one to take over for him but he could’ve at least brought some depth considering the free-agent market for cornerbacks is thin. Mullen has come on very strong and will hopefully continue to solidify his status as the team’s top cornerback.
However, one strong cornerback isn’t going to stop teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders are in a tough spot right now. With a lack of strong options available, the team will probably rely on Nevin Lawson to fill Arnette’s role until he gets back. Lawson is a capable cornerback but the Raiders didn’t use a first-round pick on Arnette so he could be on the bench. Las Vegas has a brutal stretch of games coming up and are going against some elite wide receiver talent. It could get ugly for the defense really quickly.
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