Oakland Raiders Free Agency Preview: Five Must Sign Players
By Austin Gayle
Sean Smith
With Josh Norman and Trumaine Johnson officially off the market, Oakland must push to sign one of the top corners left in free agency, and with that being said, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith seems to fit the bill.
Though Oakland could go in the direction of some younger guys like Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins or possibly Giants corner Prince Amukamara, Smith, like Weddle, is still the best player available at the cornerback position.
At 6’3”, 218 pounds, Smith, who turns 29 this summer, has above-average size for a corner and has proven that he can use it to his advantage when in press man-coverage. Unlike a majority of Oakland’s secondary, Smith also has experience playing at a high level in this league.
Smith graded out as the 12th overall cornerback in 2015 and is the highest graded corner in this free agent class, via PFF.com.
Smith would likely start opposite of Amerson at the No. 1 corner spot, which in turn, could allow Amerson to continue to develop against No. 2 receivers and allow Carrie to remain versatile as the No. 3 corner or possibly at safety. With the likelihood that Oakland aims to get younger at the position through investing in the draft, Smith would allow Oakland to develop their prospects behind him and Amerson.
Look for Oakland to offer Smith a two or three-year deal that averages out to something near $9 million a year.