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The Las Vegas Raiders continue to strike out on free agency cornerbacks with James Bradberry choosing to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. The team had also been previously linked to Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson. They could be happy with their current crop of cornerbacks but the interest in bigger names seems to go against that notion.
The Raiders aren’t going to get a younger player at Bradberry’s level anymore but there are still good options available in free agency. If they want a notable veteran for depth purposes, Richard Sherman could make sense. The five-time Pro Bowler is still sitting around in free agency.
Last year, the Raiders were heavily linked to Sherman due to his relationships with Jon Gruden and Gus Bradley. The team didn’t decide to bring him in as they added a different veteran in Casey Hayward. Sherman is 34-years-old and likely passed his prime but his leadership could be a good addition to a young Raiders secondary. He can also still be an impact player when healthy.
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Does Sherman Still Plan to Play?
Sherman should still have another solid year left in the tank. However, his career could be guiding him on a different path. He’s always been one of the smarter and more media-savvy players in the NFL. That savviness could be leading him to a big deal with Amazon to help with their broadcasting team, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s possible that Sherman could work for Amazon and still play in the NFL simultaneously. They could also sign him to a deal that is on hold until his playing career is over. Regardless, Sherman will be set up for a long time but it’s hard to imagine he’s quite done playing football yet.
Raiders the Favorite in the AFC West?
A big reason the Raiders should strongly consider upgrading their secondary is due to their division. The AFC West had four of the 12 best cornerbacks in the NFL. The Raiders have to face Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Russell Wilson twice a year each. Many are already counting out Las Vegas as a threat to win the division but not everybody.
Veteran linebacker K.J. Wright believes the Raiders are the favorites to win the AFC West this season.
“Who is No. 1?, is going to be the Las Vegas Raiders,” Wright said on “NFL Total Access” recently. “That’s who I have at No. 1 … So, the Raiders are No. 1 in this division.”
Obviously, Wright played with the Raiders last season so he might be a little biased. He’s also familiar with all the teams in that division. It’s premature to suggest the Raiders are favorites in the division but to say they have no chance of winning is premature. They have as much offensive talent as anybody in the division. The defense also added Chandler Jones and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. There are a lot of variables at play heading into the season but the Raiders have to fill good about their chances.
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