2018 Oakland Raiders: Top-5 free agent signings
By Brad Weiss
5. Marcus Gilchrist
The Raiders secondary as a whole was atrocious last season, as they set an NFL record by not grabbing an interception in the team’s first ten games. Whether it was the safety, or cornerback position, this entire defensive backfield was a liability, so it made sense that Gruden would bring in talent at those positions this offseason.
At the safety spots, Karl Joseph is expected to start once again in 2018, and the rumblings are he will be teamed with Reggie Nelson back there. While it is too early to go predicting the starters for Week 1, one player who came on via free agency is definitely going to fight for his spot in the starting lineup this summer.
Marcus Gilchrist played the 2017 season with the Houston Texans, and will be making the fourth stop in his NFL career with the Raiders this season. He signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason, and comes to the Silver and Black as a solid player at the safety position, and one who will provide depth in 2018.
Gilchrist is never going to be the best safety in the NFL, but where he shines is coming up and making the tackle. That is going to be huge for the Raiders, who looked like Swiss cheese on defense for much of last season. He also rarely makes mistakes in coverage, as per Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, which is another thing that really hurt this team in 2017.