Oakland Raiders: Top 5 Free Agent Cornerbacks

Here are the top five cornerbacks that the Oakland Raiders should target via free agency.

After signing both Sean Smith and David Amerson to four-year deals, it appeared that the Oakland Raiders had found their corners for the forseeable future.

But following a lackluster performance from the entire secondary — allowing roughly 258 yards per game (24th in the NFL) — it appears that there is still major work to do in order for this group to improve. And the two free agent additions, Smith and Amerson, were at the forefront of the coverage issues.

Whether the Raiders decide to go through the draft to re-haul the secondary or through free agency, either way, there are intriguing names that could absolutely provided the much needed help.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the free agent options. Here are the top five free agent cornerbacks that the Raiders should target.

5. Malcolm Butler

After becoming the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, Malcolm Butler went on to have a Pro Bowl season in 2015 by racking up 67 tackles, 15 passes defensed, and 2 interceptions.

Some thought it was an aberration, and a lot of football aficionados wanted to see a repeat performance in 2016. They got just that. In 2016, Butler had another great season, recording 63 tackles, 17 passes defensed and 4 interceptions, which earned him All-Pro honors.

The most interesting thing about Butler is that he might not be the biggest and most physical corner, but he always plays with supreme confidence. It is also noteworthy that he will be turning just 27 years old in March, so he has the potential to be a foundational player at the cornerback position.

The two problems with this scenario are that the New England Patriots will have roughly $60 million in cap space and Butler will be a restricted free agent. So it’s hard to imagine Butler being pried away, but the Patriots tend to cut ties with players at surprising times, so you never know.