The Las Vegas Raiders are in a rebuild and will likely welcome young talent to help turn their situation around. Nonetheless, under this regime of general manager John Spytek and Klint Kubiak, it doesn’t appear that the Silver and Black will welcome any player with baggage.
Still, there’s been speculation regarding whether the Raiders could be a landing spot for former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, who was released after he was arrested on felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping.
Regardless of how talented Arnold might be, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy wants no part of the former first-round pick with the Silver and Black.
“No,” Kennedy said when asked about Arnold being a fit for Las Vegas during the July 9 edition of the “Raiders Squad Show.” “And that’s the absolute reason why—his legal situation and everything that’s going on around him, and the possibilities he’s facing. Look, I understand innocent until proven guilty, but if you’re a young coach trying to build a locker room with character, and character issues are something you’ve managed to stay away from so far, you continue down that path.
“Absolutely do not bring in anybody with that serious of a background and everything that’s happening around him. It would just be an unwanted distraction, no matter how talented the young man is right now.”
Terrion Arnold Wouldn’t Fit Las Vegas’ New Culture
Moreover, Raiders Nation Radio host Q Myers echoed Kennedy, noting that a young team should avoid dealing with the off-the-field situation Arnold would bring.
“I just don’t think that’s something the Raiders are looking to have as a question right now at this stage as they’re trying to build with a very young coach and a very young team,” Myers said on the same program. “It’s funny because I always mention they’re trying to build that locker room with character guys, and people always say, ‘Why do you have to have a locker room full of choir boys? There aren’t going to be any guys with an edge.’
“That’s not what I mean when I talk about character guys, and that’s not what John Spytek means. He’s talking about guys you can hold accountable, guys who are going to be there for their teammates, guys you know are going to be in their playbook, guys who love football and guys who are going to leave it all on the field.”
The Raiders Did Have a Past Interest in Terrion Arnold
Last season with the Lions, Arnold played 312 total snaps, leading to a 52.6 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he recorded one interception, broke up four passes in coverage, allowed an 88.6 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks, and surrendered 23 receptions.
Meanwhile, Arnold also contributed 28 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations. Myers did state that Arnold is a player that a previous Raiders regime liked heading into the 2024 NFL Draft. Nonetheless, under Spytek, it doesn’t appear the Silver and Black will pursue that past interest.
“I’m a big Terrion Arnold fan,” Myers added. “I remember him at Alabama [and] I remember talking to him before the draft, and I know how talented he is. I also know how much Antonio Pierce liked him during that draft process. As a matter of fact, I’d probably argue that Antonio Pierce wanted to draft him in the first round. He went to the Lions at the back end of the first round…
“I just don’t think that for a team that’s young and impressionable like this one, especially with the head coach trying to find his way, you even need to have those questions in the background. You’ve got questions about Jermod McCoy, and those have to do with his injury. They don’t have to do with whether this guy is potentially going to jail.”
Raiders Get Blunt Message on Former Lions CB Terrion Arnold