Silver And Black Pride
At this time next week, we’ll be sitting here preparing for the Las Vegas Raiders’ season opener against the New England Patriots! But first, we have this week’s mailbag to get to, touching on the 53-man roster and depth chart.
Q: When are the Raiders going to add another cornerback? I think they want Darien Porter to be the other starter, but they need a vet in there.
A: Maybe during the season they will add another veteran corner if the secondary is struggling, but at this point, the roster is what it is heading into Week 1. Granted, Jabrill Peppers was a surprising late release, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Patrick Graham pounds the table to bring Peppers in. But that doesn’t solve the cornerback problem.
I think if John Spytek and Pete Carroll were going to sign a corner, it would have happened this week, like they did with Amari Cooper.
Vinny Bonsignore posted on X/Twitter that the coaching staff likes what they have in the position group, so I don’t see them making any changes anytime soon, barring an injury. In my opinion, it’s the weakest position on the roster right now, but I do think they have some intriguing developmental players like Darien Porter and Decamerion Richardson.
I agree that the defense could use another veteran corner to be better this year, but the coaching staff seems comfortable throwing the young guys into the deep end of the pool and seeing who can swim, so to speak. Undoubtedly, that’s going to lead to some growing pains this fall, though.
Q: Does the cornerback room have potential, or do you think we’re in for an overhaul next March?
A: I think Porter and Richardson have the potential to become quality starters down the line, and Kyu Blu Kelly caught my eye with how he played against the Seahawks a few weeks ago. Kelly could be another intriguing guy who has a future in Las Vegas since he’s only 24 years old and entering year three in the NFL. Meanwhile, I get the feeling that Eric Stokes is more of a one-year rental since he’s about to enter his fifth season and has already flamed out with the Packers.
So, I don’t think the Raiders will have an overhaul at corner in the offseason since they have a handful of young but raw players at the position. They might go after one bigger free agent or draft prospect to replace Stokes, who is only on a one-year contract, but I don’t see them completely changing the meeting room like the new regime did this past spring.
Q: Are you surprised that Jack Bech didn’t show more in preseason, or did you think at the time that he was taken too high? Could he be a good slot guy against zone defenses?
A: Yes, I was a little surprised Bech didn’t hit the ground running this summer. I thought he had a fairly “pro-ready” skillset coming out of...
