The Las Vegas Raiders have done a lot to bolster the roster this offseason, from trading for quarterback Geno Smith to selecting a franchise-record 11 players in April's draft. But the new regime can't realistically fill every hole in one offseason.
Given the massive turnover in the secondary, cornerback is widely seen as a big need for the Raiders. New head coach Pete Carroll is seemingly attempting to build a new version of the Seattle Seahawks' "Legion of Boom" in Las Vegas.
His ideal player would be at least 6-feet tall and have 32-inch arms or longer to pair with an incredibly physical playing style. The Raiders already have a few corners who fit that template like Eric Stokes, Decamerion Richardson and rookie Darien Porter, but the adage that one can never have enough corners in the NFL applies to Las Vegas' situation.
Former first-round pick could find career resurrection with the Raiders
Las Vegas does not have a go-to veteran in the cornerback room yet, but the Raiders' proposed trade target from Brandon Austin of Pro Football Network has exactly that in mind.
"Las Vegas’ front office should look to insert more talent and depth into this CB group," Austin wrote. "Greg Newsome II saw his role decrease last season after taking a step back in performance. He started just three games after making double-digit starts in each of his first three NFL seasons. He also missed the final four games due to injury."
Newsome was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns as an outside cornerback. His role shifted more toward being a slot corner in his second season, however, which he was, allegedly, not thrilled about. He still played well in 2023, but last season, he started just three of the 13 games that he played in.
After this fall from grace, Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported before April's draft that Newsome was available via trade. Now into June, he remains a Brown heading into the final year of his contract, which is a $13.37 million fifth-year option.
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He needs a change of scenery badly, and continuing to play for the Browns this year stands to further hurt his stock as he moves toward free agency next March. Newsome is just 25 years old, so the team that inevitably acquires him could find a long-term solution at cornerback. The Raiders don't know what they have in their room just yet, so it wouldn't be surprising if they have some interest.
There is a question, however, about how Newsome fits Carroll's physical mold for a cornerback. He stands at just 6-feet tall and weighs 192 pounds with 31 and 1/8-inch arms. Newsome's arm length is a little shy of the ideal Carroll cornerback, but otherwise, a flier makes a lot of sense here.
If not for the fully-guaranteed $13 million that Newsome is due this year, he'd likely have already been traded. But maybe the Browns would eat part of that money to move him, and on a base level, the Raiders should find out what it might take to give the former first-round pick a shot at reviving his career.