Should the Las Vegas Raiders make a run at Prince Amukamara?

Should the Raiders make a run for Amukamara?

The Raiders defense has been a lackluster unit for the past several years. Ultimately, the Raiders should have an interest in any player that is a proven playmaker on defense, and Amukamara certainly is that. He would provide them with a veteran cornerback who’s played in playoff games, including a trip to Super Bowl XLVI.

Last year, rookie cornerback Trayvon Mullen showed a ton of potential, but overall the Raiders defense still allowed an average of 256.7 yards per game, ranking 25th in the NFL.

With that said, adding a proven starter such as Amukamara and pairing him with Mullen would generate one of the better duos the Raiders have run out at cornerback in recent years.

I wouldn’t classify Amukamara as a lock-down cornerback or even a CB1 at this time in his career, but he would definitely be an upgrade to the cornerback position, which has been one of the low points of the Raiders roster over the years.

In terms of a future contract, a one-two year deal worth $7-9 million annually for Amukamara would be something that both parties could find value. According to Overthecap.com, the Raiders have $50.3 million to spend this offseason and bolstering the defense should accumulate a large portion of that.

Last offseason, Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock brought aboard Joyner to play a vital role on the Raiders’ young defense. Now a year later, they still need more help on the backend and adding the skillset of Amukamara would provide a large boost to Paul Guenther’s defense.