Oakland Raiders top 6 acquisitions during 2018 offseason
By Brad Weiss
3. Signing cornerback Rashaan Melvin
Last season, the cornerback position was one that was definitely a negative on this roster. The team drafted a cornerback in the first round, but he could not get on the field. In addition, their prized free agent signing, Sean Smith, never looked as good as he did in Kansas City wearing the Silver and Black.
Heading into the offseason, the team needed to address this issue, and they made some pretty solid signings. The first was Rashaan Melvin, who has the talent to be a legitimate top cornerback on this roster.
The player they drafted in 2017 in the first round, Gareon Conley, appears healthy, and the hope is he can be the top guy on the depth chart. However, he has to prove that on the field, which is something Melvin has already accomplished during his time with the Indianapolis Colts.
With the Colts, Melvin showed he could lock up the best, as he completely dominated Antonio Brown when the Colts played the Steelers. He will have an opportunity to do that again in 2018, as the Raiders have a huge late-season matchup against the Steelers this season.
In addition to Melvin, the team also signed Daryl Worley, who was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles after an off-the-field issue. In the draft, they selected Wisconsin corner Nick Nelson, so the group they have now is vastly superior than the collection they ran out in 2017.