The Las Vegas Raiders needed to revamp the secondary this offseason, and they have done so in a big way via the NFL Draft and free agency.
Las Vegas Raiders fans have been begging the team for weeks to sign either free-agent cornerback Richard Sherman or Casey Hayward. Today, the fans’ wish came true, with Hayward being signed to join the revamped Las Vegas defense that’s being helmed by former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
As much as some may have wanted to see Richard Sherman don the Silver and Black, it makes more sense for Las Vegas to add Hayward. This is because Bradley was Hayward’s defensive coordinator for four years, from the 2017 season through the 2020 season.
Under the leadership of Bradley, Hayward started in 61 of 62 games, where he logged in seven interceptions, 46 passes defended, and a whopping 159 combined tackles. His most impressive season came in his first year under Bradley in 2017 when Hayward made the Pro Bowl after collecting four interceptions, 22 passes defended, and a forced fumble in a single season.
There is no doubt that Bradley and the rest of the Las Vegas brass hope that Hayward can replicate at least a fraction of these numbers.
Raiders got a huge signing with Hayward
This is a huge signing for Vegas because of how young the Las Vegas secondary is. Yes, Hayward needs to produce at a high level, But, what’s almost more important, is for Hayward to come into the building and be a guiding, veteran presence for the first, second, and third-year defensive backs.
Obviously, with Bradley joining the team, an entirely new defensive scheme will be implemented. This makes the Hayward signing a huge comfort signing for the new defensive coordinator, as he’ll have a player in on the roster that is familiar with the system. He’ll also be able to rely on Hayward to be a guiding presence to the defensive backs who are learning a system like Bradley’s for the first time.
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All things considered, this is a great pickup for Las Vegas. Hayward will come in and make an impact on the team almost immediately, especially if he finds a way to play with the same edge that he had in 2017.