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Raiders: 3 free agents to help Las Vegas after June 1st’s cap increase

By Alexander Monfreda

Feb 9, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders helmet is seen at the Super Bowl LVI Experience at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A Las Vegas Raiders helmet is seen at the Super Bowl LVI Experience at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND – AUGUST 20: Trae Waynes #26 of the Cincinnati Bengals watches during the NFL preseason game against the Washington Football Team at FedExField on August 20, 2021, in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MARYLAND – AUGUST 20: Trae Waynes #26 of the Cincinnati Bengals watches during the NFL preseason game against the Washington Football Team at FedExField on August 20, 2021, in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

3 free agent signings the Raiders would improve from

Trae Waynes

If you’re looking to find Ndamukong Suh on this short list of free agents Las Vegas would benefit from signing, you aren’t going to find it. The reason is simply due to me writing about Suh’s potential impact with the Raiders earlier this same week.

For similar reasons as Suh, I thought about not including Waynes, as I touched on his fit with the Silver and Black last week. However, at the end of the day, I like Waynes and the Raiders more than I like any other remaining defensive free agent and the Raiders.

If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard much about Waynes these days, it’s due to his disappointing stint with the Bengals. After the 2019 season came to an end, the former Viking corner entered free agency, ultimately signing a massive 3y, $42M deal with Cincinnati. From there, it was miserable.

Waynes didn’t play poorly, but his [lack of] availability made his stint a disaster. In the first two-years of his contract, the veteran corner appeared in only 5 games, leading to his release this off-season.

You might be thinking, “Why would I want him on my team after knowing these availability concerns?”. There’s a few reasons you should embrace Waynes to Las Vegas:

1.  He was consistently available before these last two years. From ’14-’19, Waynes played at least 14 games in each of his first five NFL seasons.

2. Waynes was excellent prior to this last stint. The contract he earned with Cincy wasn’t for no reason, after all.

3. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be a cheap[er] signing. Coming off of back-to-back injury-riddled seasons, the cards are against Waynes as far as a new contract goes.

All of this may not be enough to convince you Waynes isn’t a risk, and it shouldn’t convince you otherwise, because he certainly is one after the two seasons he spent nursing injuries. Here’s the best part, though – Signing Waynes would be a win/ no-lose situation. Let me explain.

If the Raiders sign Waynes and he returns to form, they get a great player. The positive in this scenario is obvious. If he continues to suffer injuries, Las Vegas loses nothing. As is, not only are both Ya-Sin and Mullen viable outside corners but so is Anthony Averett. There’s no risk in bringing in Waynes due to the fact his talent would be a bonus, not something the team is relying on.

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