Getty Former Raiders DB Ken Crawley.
The Las Vegas Raiders have made a lot of roster moves since the onset of training camp and the most recent one was the decision to let go of defensive back Ken Crawley. He was brought in this offseason but never had a real shot at making the team. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Crawley has already found a new home.
Crawley started a decent number of games for a strong New Orleans Saints pass defense not that long ago. It was a bit of surprise he didn’t get more of a shot to make the roster but the Raiders have added a lot of cornerback talent through free agency and the draft this offseason. Crawley will probably have a better shot with the Arizona Cardinals.
Derek Carr Praises Raiders Cornerbacks
Out of all the position groups on the Raiders’ roster, cornerback is probably the biggest question mark. Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette are the expected starters and they have a combined one year of experience. Both men have a ton of talent and were high draft picks but the Raiders play in a division with some elite wide receiver talent.
The secondary for the team has struggled for years so perhaps relying on youth will work in their favor. Quarterback Derek Carr recently praised the cornerbacks.
“I’m really excited about our corners,” Carr said on Tuesday. “The coverage is stickier. They are doing some good things, so very excited.”
The Raiders regularly get torched in the passing game. Hopefully, Arnette and Mullen are the long term answers.
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Erik Harris Praises Added Depth
Safety Erik Harris is one of the longest-tenured players on the Raiders defense now. He’s been honest about the defensive struggles in the past and recently revealed what the team needs to do to succeed, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
I think our job right now and our biggest goal is just to have everybody on the same page and just trusting one another. We all have our strengths and we all have our weaknesses. But when you play beside a guy for so long, you kind of know what to expect from them. Right? So it’s just playing off each other and having that chemistry.
A big problem the Raiders have had on defense in the past is the lack of depth. Harris believes that shouldn’t be as much of an issue this year:
I credit the staff for bringing in guys and giving us more depth. The young guys have really been incredible throughout the whole offseason. Now that we’re all in the building together, they’ve done a great job picking up the playbook. The more depth you have, the better you’ll be and the more you’ll last in his league.
Things are looking up for the Raiders defense for the first time in a long time. If the secondary can perform well, the defense has a really good shot of having a solid year.
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