Getty Arizona Cardinals defense.
One of the surprise moves the Las Vegas Raiders made in the offseason was the decision to let go of Prince Amukamara prior to final roster cuts. Amukamara has a lot of starting experience and figured to be an important part of the defense, especially considering the youth of their secondary. They put their trust in Damon Arnette and that hasn’t worked out as he’s currently on the injured reserve after getting thumb surgery.
It would’ve made sense to bring Amukamara back in after the Arnette injury news but that didn’t happen and now it looks like it won’t happen. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Arizona Cardinals are bringing the veteran cornerback in for a visit and plan to sign him.
The #AZCardinals are bringing in veteran CB Prince Amukamara for a visit in the next few days with the intention to sign him, source says.
It’s slightly surprising Amukamara has lasted in free agency this long. He was a starter for a really good Chicago Bears defense over the last three years and should still have some good years left at 31-years-old. It remains to be seen if the Cardinals plan to sign Amukamara right to the active roster or to the practice squad.
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Will Raiders Bring in CB Help?
Arnette isn’t returning to the Raiders’ roster anytime soon, yet the team hasn’t signed a replacement. The New York Giants poached rookie cornerback Madre Harper from their practice squad so that makes the position even thinner. With it sounding like Amukamara will be off the market soon, the options at cornerback are very slim.
Right now, it appears the Raiders are going to try their best to manage with what they have. Cornerbacks LaMarcus Joyner, Keisean Nixon and Nevin Lawson have all been limited in practice this week with injuries. If any one of those guys can’t play, the Raiders could be in trouble. They should really consider trying to add some depth soon.
Raiders Defense Has Struggled in Pass Defense
While there was concern surrounding the Raiders’ pass defense due to the youth in the secondary, it did at least seem that the group would be better than last year. That hasn’t been the case and the defense might even be worse. Through the first four games of last season, the Raiders only allowed 30 points or more in one game. Through four games this year, the team has allowed 30 points or more in three games.
That’s a very bad start to the year. The Raiders are 24th in the NFL in opponents points per game. Now, it is a young group with a lot of new faces so they could get better. Players like Cory Littleton and Maliek Collins have played well in the past but haven’t done anything with the Raiders yet. It’s hard to imagine that keeps being the case. Las Vegas has talent on every unit of the defense. At a certain point, they will start to get better. If it doesn’t, heads will likely start to roll.
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