The Las Vegas Raiders ushered in a new era this offseason when owner Mark Davis hired Pete Carroll and John Spytek as the franchise's next head coach and general manager. Their first offseason at the helm for the Silver and Black has been unusual, but for an organization with almost no success over the last two decades, this may not be such a bad thing.
Carroll has been to two Super Bowls before as a head coach and won one, and Spytek has been a part of two Super Bowl-winning front offices with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the team's previous regime brought in plenty of talent through free agency and the NFL Draft, they did not have the know how to make all the pieces work together.
However, the new decision-makers in Las Vegas have a clear vision for the future of this roster, and they already have a handful of great pieces in the building. One young cornerback in particular sticks out as a potential future star under Carroll.
Raiders CB Decamerion Richardson could take a massive leap in year two for one key reason
Former general manager Tom Telesco drafted Mississippi State cornerback Decamerion Richardson in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite a rough rookie campaign, Richardson is poised for a major breakout under Carroll because he has the exact same size, speed and mentality that the Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" defensive backs had.
This secondary carried the Seahawks to their dominant Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Broncos, so Carroll would be smart to recreate this style of defense in Las Vegas. Richardson has a big frame at 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds with 32 and 3/8-inch arms. He also exhibits great athletic ability with a 35-inch vertical and a lightning-fast 4.34-second 40-yard dash time.
Richardson may not have the coverage skills that players like Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner had, but that is where Coach Carroll comes in. He has made a living in the NFL turning raw, long-armed defensive backs into shutdown corners, and Carroll can do that again with Richardson.
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During his rookie year, he earned a lowly PFF grade of 46.1, which ranked 200th out of 222 qualifying players. However, he had an average grade against the run and his tackling ability was considered above-average.
While he lined up primarily at wide corner, he also played snaps in the slot and as a box corner, so his versatility should excite Carroll and the new staff. Richardson did relinquish too many passing yards and touchdowns, but he had solid marks agains the Rams, Bengals and Falcons, all of which have great receiving corps.
Richardson may not ever be a top-flight cornerback in the NFL, but he has all the physical tools that Pete Carroll wants in one of his defensive backs. Because he may remind the Raiders' new coach of his old "Legion of Boom" corners, he may take a vested interest in helping Richardson get there.