The NFL got hit with a big curveball this offseason when it was revealed that former Detroit Lions first-round pick Terrion Arnold was arrested and charged with kidnapping and robbery. He started 22 games across the last two seasons, but the Lions felt like the alleged crimes were serious enough to warrant releasing him.
No team wanted to pick up his contract, so he was able to clear waivers. The cornerback is now sitting in free agency and can sign with any team whenever. His bigger concern right now is avoiding jail time and a possible long-term suspension. However, teams across the NFL can often overlook off-the-field issues for a talented player, and Arnold is very talented.
According to Fox Sports’ Ben Maller, there are a few teams interested in signing the cornerback, including the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Arnold has an attorney, he probably has more than one, the attorney told the court that there are not one, not two, but three unnamed teams that immediately reached out to the agent for Arnold after the Lions put him on waivers,” Maller said on the “Ben Maller Show.”
“We think we know the teams. The teams include the Raiders, the Browns … and Kansas City. So supposedly, if you believe the streets, the streets are talking, and those are the three teams that are supposed to be interested in (Arnold).”
Arnold Previously Said Raiders Considered Drafting Him
It’s unclear how concrete Maller’s sourcing is. It’s possible that Arnold’s agents are using the fact that the Raiders were previously linked to him to their advantage. The cornerback said in the past that Las Vegas told him they were going to draft him if it weren’t for Brock Bowers.
“(The Lions) knew that the Raiders were a possibility,” Arnold told “The Next Round” podcast. “And actually the Raiders coach, they called me after the draft, and they were like, ‘We actually had a coin toss between you and Brock Bowers. It landed on him.’ I was like, ‘Oh wow.'”
Now, that would be a pretty bold thing for Arnold to make up, but Antonio Pierce, who was the Raiders’ head coach at the time, said that conversation never happened.
“No call, and no coin flip,” Pierce told ESPN’s Ryan Clark. “As soon as the last two quarterbacks went off the board, we said Bowers all the way.”
Raiders Don’t Have Big Need at CB
A few months ago, it would’ve made a lot of sense for the Raiders to be all over Arnold, but things are different now. The team re-signed Eric Stokes in free agency and drafted Jermod McCoy and Hezekiah Masses. That’s not to mention 2025 draft pick Darien Porter possibly taking a leap.
The Raiders are very young at cornerback, but the group has a ton of potential. Bringing the drama that Arnold has surrounding him right now would just be a distraction. If he gets his name cleared, then it would still make some sense, but right now, it’s not worth the risk for Las Vegas.
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