Las Vegas Raiders: Can Gus Bradley make the CB group a strength?
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of young talent at cornerback, so can Gus Bradley finally turn the position group into a strength.
The Las Vegas Raiders have certainly had their issues at the cornerback spot as of late, utilizing draft picks and free agency to figure the position group out. Unfortunately, that has not worked out, and outside of Trayvon Mullen, who the team took in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, it has been a major weak spot on the defense.
Not to say the rest of the defense has done well, as the group as a whole was one of the worst in football last season, but cornerback seems to be a weak spot every season. As the Silver and Black enter the summer months and inch towards training camp, it will be interesting to see what Gus Bradley can do with this group.
Remember, Bradley has been known to work wonders with defensive backs in the past and is one of the architects behind the Seattle Seahawks “Legion of Boom” defense. With a bunch of young talent on the roster, including four recent draft picks at the position group, it will be up to Bradley to finally turn this thing around.
How can the Raiders turn this position group around?
As stated earlier, Mullen has been solid for the Raiders, but who lines up around him is still up in the air. Casey Hayward should be able to come in and lock down a starting spot, but the slot cornerback role is still up for grabs, and there are some young guys in the mix to earn the job.
Nate Hobbs has looked great, as has Amik Robertson, and both have the skill set to play the slot at the next level.
On the outside, you have to think that Damon Arnette is going to give Hayward a run for his money in terms of winning a starting job, as he was a first-round pick, and struggled through a strange rookie season. All signs point to the fact that he spent the offseason getting in better shape, so it is not like Hayward is going to be able to walk in and just take the job without any competition.
Also, the Raiders have young talent like Isaiah Johnson on the roster, who had a monster play against Los Angeles last season. Veterans like Nevin Lawson, Keisean Nixon, and Rasul Douglas will also be looking to lock down roles in the secondary, so overall, this is a deeper and more talented group than years past.
Now, it will be up to Bradley to put all the pieces in the right spot, and finally make this a position group that is a strength instead of a liability.