Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders are starting to prepare for the 2022 season as they begin their voluntary offseason workout program. The team has made a few splashy moves this offseason and likely aren’t planning to do anything too notable in the coming months. However, new head coach Josh McDaniels is finally going to get the first look at his new roster. If he starts to see things he’s not thrilled about, then the Raiders could look to see what’s still available in free agency.
The team’s secondary is still a bit of a question mark. Rock Ya-Sin and Trayvon Mullen are the projected starters at cornerbacks. While both players have a lot of upside, neither has proven to be a shutdown cornerback quite yet. Throughout the offseason, the Raiders have been linked to former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore due to his ties to McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Any talks between the two sides appear to have stopped completely but things could change.
Gilmore remains a free agent and Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus named the Raiders as one of the potential fits for him.
“Teams should be excited at the prospect of Gilmore stepping in and making an impact from Day 1, because he did just that following a trade to the Carolina Panthers last season,” Spielberger wrote. “From Week 8 through the end of the season, Gilmore’s 79.5 coverage grade from press coverage looks ranked sixth among cornerbacks.”
Gilmore is going to turn 32 when the season starts up and could be past his prime. Teams are clearly apprehensive to give him a big contract. If Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham feels like there’s a need for a starting cornerback, the team could re-engage in contract talks. Considering his familiarity with the type of defense Graham runs, he should have the ability to come in later in the offseason and not miss a beat.
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Tyrann Mathieu Also Named Fit
Adding a cornerback like Gilmore would be an exciting addition but the need at safety is likely bigger. Former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Tyrann Mathieu has been a popular name linked to the Raiders. Even defensive end Maxx Crosby has tried his hand at recruiting the defensive back. Spielberger also believes that Mathieu could make sense for the team.
“Theoretically, any team could be a fit for Mathieu given his unrivaled versatility on the backend,” Spielberger wrote. “Since joining Kansas City in 2019, he has played over 600 snaps in deep, box and slot alignments, and he rarely comes off the field, averaging over 1,000 snaps per regular season since 2017.”
Mathieu doesn’t have experience in the Patriots-style defense the Raiders will be running but he’s a versatile player who would fill a major need.
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Will Raiders Actually Sign Mathieu or Gilmore?
At this point, if the Raiders are hoping to sign Mathieu or Gilmore, it won’t happen until after June 1. That’s when the team will create around $20 million in cap space. That’s a good chunk of change to play around with if the team fills like they still have holes.
Some of that money will be reserved for signing draft picks and for possible additions during the season. All $20 million likely won’t be used only on those two options. Last year, cornerback Casey Hayward was brought in late in the offseason. Perhaps Gilmore or Mathieu could have a similar Raiders story this year.
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