The Las Vegas Raiders were perceived to have a cornerback problem heading into the 2025 NFL season. Even though head coach Pete Carroll is a defensive back guru, Raider Nation simply couldn't support not having a veteran presence to help lead the many project players who comprised the unit.
Fortunately, through the first four weeks of the campaign, the team's cornerbacks have held up surprisingly well. Eric Stokes has been largely a lockdown player, Kyu Blu Kelly has been more solid than expected, and rookie Darien Porter is coming on strong in recent weeks.
But injuries are also plaguing this cornerback room, as Stokes left Week 4's game against the Chicago Bears with a knee sprain, and backup Decamerion Richardson was inactive as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.
Raiders should sign Shaquill Griffin from Seahawks' practice squad
With neither of their statuses guaranteed in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, that leaves the Raiders with just Kelly and Porter as fully healthy outside cornerbacks. Darnay Holmes is available, and Greedy Vance Jr. is on the practice squad, but both are trained for the slot, not the outside.
That means that a move for Carroll and John Spytek may be in order, and there is an obvious one for them to pursue. The Raiders should sign veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin to their active roster, as he is currently on the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad.
Adding a free agent would be too expensive, considering Las Vegas only has about $9 million in salary cap space available, and it is slim pickings at this point anyway. Griffin would provide an immediate answer at a low price.
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Of course, this would require the Seahawks not protecting Griffin. But if he is available to be signed, the Raiders should absolutely do so, especially considering the fact that they have an open roster spot after placing Kolton Miller on IR, and they wouldn't have to make a corresponding move.
Griffin has a long history with Carroll, as he spent four years with the Seahawks after being drafted by them in 2017 under Carroll's watch. He earned a Pro Bowl honor in 2019 while with Carroll in Seattle, and he visited the Raiders this offseason.
Ideally, Stokes and Richardson end up being healthy, and the unit can press on without needing to make any changes. But if things turn sideways, Griffin is the ideal candidate to bring to Las Vegas, but he's currently being stashed on Seattle's practice squad.