The Las Vegas Raiders have been no strangers to change over the last few offseasons, as a different head coach and general manager tandem has led the franchise in each of the last three years. With that, roster turnover is expected, but that has especially been the case so far this season.
None of the seven starters from the back half of the Raiders' defense last year are still in Las Vegas, as they were either released, traded or not re-signed in free agency. Even into training camp, the new leadership duo has been tinkering with the roster amid injuries and underperformance.
On Sunday, the Raiders signed free agent safety Terrell Edmunds, who was a first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2018 NFL Draft and a five-year starter. Though he was added late in the process, he may already be finding himself in an important role for the Raiders' secondary.
Terrell Edmunds playing with Raiders second-team defense in Thomas Harper's absence
ESPN's Ryan McFadden reported that backup safety Thomas Harper has missed two practices this week for undisclosed reasons. With Lonnie Johnson Jr. already sidelined with a broken fibula, someone needed to step up as the fourth safety.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore, that player was Edmunds, who already began taking second-team reps in his first week with the Raiders. Jesse Merrick noted that Chris Smith was still the first safety to rotate in, but Edmunds was just behind him.
The nature of Harper's absence is unknown, but if he continues to miss time, then Edmunds may have a bigger and more immediate role than expected. It seems like he has already passed up players like Trey Taylor and Hudson Clark, despite what the depth chart says.
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Edmunds was a full-time starter as recently as 2022, so it is not far-fetched to think about him taking on a significant role in the Las Vegas secondary. The last two years have been marked by him moving around and coming off the bench, but that is not who he's been for the majority of his career.
He comes to Las Vegas with 465 career tackles, including 17 for a loss, as well as 7.5 sacks, six interceptions and 28 passes defended. Edmunds is also coming off a career-best 71.6 grade from Pro Football Focus as well, which he earned in six games with the Steelers and Jaguars in 2024.
Most expected Edmunds, who has lined up all over the field during his NFL career, to eventually climb his way into relevancy for the Raiders' defense. However, an unexpected absence has launched him into a role sooner than most expected, and that may not be a bad thing.