Oakland Raiders “Oldest Roster” Label Belies Youth Movement

Aug 28, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Keith McGill (39) forces a fumble against Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bryan Walters (19) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Position: Cornerback

Old Players: Carlos Rogers (33) and Tarell Brown (29)

Young Players: Chimdi Chekwa (26), TJ Carrie (24), Neiko Thorpe (24), DJ Hayden (24) and Keith McGill (25)

After Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter struggled their way through the 2013 season, the Raiders cut ties with them and signed two 49er veteran corners in Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown. Like Porter and Jenkins, both Brown and Rogers are veterans who have played competent football for several seasons, but neither has ever been a real star. Neither Brown nor Rogers has particularly impressed in preseason, and both of them may be at risk of being supplanted by one of the several young up-and-coming corners on this roster.The Raiders kept seven cornerbacks on the 53-man roster, with DJ Hayden on the PUP list with a chance to return by mid-season, meaning that as many as six young players will be vying to unseat Brown and Rogers.

Third-year vet Chimdi Chekwa has played solidly enough that he may already be the starter at corner, while rookie 7th-round draft pick TJ Carrie and 2nd-year free agent Neiko Thorpe have also impressed. The organization is still committed to last year’s first-round draft pick DJ Hayden, but his injury problems have not helped him. This year’s 4th round draft pick, Keith McGill, was hampered by injury issues early in camp and preseason, but also performed well late in the preseason and has the most impressive set of physical tools of any cornerback on the roster. It is a group deep with young talent, so deep that it seems highly unlikely that we’ll see either Rogers or Brown in a Raider uniform after this season.