The Las Vegas Raiders had to make a handful of brutal decisions this offseason as the new regime turned the roster over from last year's four-win squad. One of the victims of this change was cornerback Nate Hobbs, a former fifth-round draft pick by the franchise.
Hobbs, after spending almost four years as a starting cornerback, was not offered a contract by new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll in free agency. While he was certainly a great player when he was healthy, he played in just 51 of a potential 68 games in his Raiders career.
While Las Vegas has turned a new page and is excited about all of the new and young pieces in the secondary, Raider Nation cannot help but miss their homegrown talent. It stings even worse knowing that Hobbs is already showing out at training camp for the Green Bay Packers.
Former Raider Nate Hobbs is already dominating at Packers training camp
Brian Gutekunst, the general manager of the Packers, singled out Hobbs on Tuesday when speaking to the local media about how he hopes for the team to be built.
"We’re trying to become a certain kind of football team that can win and win deep into the playoffs," Gutekunst said. "There’s a certain kind of physicality you have to have, and Nate Hobbs brings all that, and that’s why we brought him here. It’s very important that all our guys have that kind of edge to ‘em.”
Some could interpret this as a general manager patting himself on the back for a four-year, $48 million deal he handed out in free agency, but he is far from the only one praising Hobbs. Mike Spofford of Packers.com has been incredibly complimentary of Hobbs at training camp as well.
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"New #Packers CB Nate Hobbs is an intense player," Spofford wrote. "That’s what we heard when he was signed, and it was no lie. Evident on the field in these early practices."
Spofford also pointed out that Hobbs was working with the first unit alongside former Raiders teammate Keisan Nixon. Hobbs punched the ball out from another former Raider, Josh Jacobs, forcing a fumble late last week. Hobbs has also made a handful of nice tackles and an interception.
If recent additions like free agents Jeremy Chinn or Lonnie Johnson Jr., or even undrafted free agent Greedy Vance Jr., can step up and play well in the slot, perhaps losing Hobbs will hurt less. However, he firmly falls in the category of "Once a Raider, always a Raider," so his departure will always sting.