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While the playoffs are still possible for the Las Vegas Raiders, they are highly unlikely. The team would be wise to start thinking about next season and what their plans are to fix the roster. The first order of business has to be fixing the defense. Once again, the Raiders have fielded one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
They are tied with the Minnesota Vikings for 24th in scoring defense and have the fourth-worst passing defense in the league. The Raiders have been banged up in the secondary all season with Nate Hobbs and Anthony Averett missing multiple games. Now Rock Ya-Sin is injured and could miss time. Even when all three were healthy, the team didn’t have a great secondary. This offseason, cornerback is going to be one of the biggest positions of need.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report pitched an offseason trade that sees the Raiders send a fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for cornerback Jalen Mills:
Sam Webb has shown some promise as a rookie, but it’s not wise to just pencil him in as a starter in 2023. Making a move for a proven veteran would be a good idea and Jalen Mills of the New England Patriots makes a lot of sense.
The 28-year-old is playing just 75 percent of the snaps for the Pats this season. The emergence of rookie Jack Jones has made him expendable for New England, but he’s only allowing an 83.4 passer rating in coverage this season.
General manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels should feel comfortable with what Mills is capable of. Adding him to a young cornerback room could give them key depth and experience at a crucial position next season.
Background on Mills
The Patriots hit a home run by landing cornerback Jack Jones in the fourth round. He looks like a future star at the position. Jonathan Jones has always put together a very good season but will be a free agent after the season. Mills is under contract until 2024 so the Patriots might want to keep him around. However, Bill Belichick is so good at finding cornerbacks so he might be happy to take a fifth-round pick from the Raiders for Mills.
The veteran cornerback spent the first portion of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and was a member of the 2017 Super Bowl team. He’s started 26 games for the Patriots over the past two seasons, which had the fourth-best pass defense last year and has the ninth-best this year. Mills has been a part of that and deserves credit. However, he’s Pro Football Focus‘ 116th-ranked cornerback so he hasn’t had the best season. The Raiders may want to use their resources elsewhere.
Should Raiders Bring Back Ya-Sin?
Averett will be a free agent after the season and he hasn’t done enough to earn a roster spot next year. Hobbs is still under contract so he’s not going anywhere. The most interesting player to watch is Ya-Sin. He’s played well this season but hasn’t done anything too spectacular.
The Raiders will likely try to bring him back but he needs to get back on the field this season. He’ll be a cheap option for the team to sign but is best suited to be the No. 2 cornerback. The team needs to find a No. 1 cornerback this offseason.
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