The Las Vegas Raiders overturned a good portion of their roster this offseason with Pete Carroll and John Spytek now in charge. The defense, especially, saw lots of changes, as heading into training camp, only one starter from last year remained outside of the defensive line.
With both Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones no longer members of the Silver and Black, many inferred that Jakorian Bennett was going to take the reins as the No. 1 cornerback. After all, he was the team's best player at the position last year, when healthy, and had the most experience with Patrick Graham.
That did not translate, however, as free agent Eric Stokes and third-round rookie Darien Porter have garnered most of the hype during training camp and seem to be in line for starting roles. Bennett did not have to start to contribute, but it felt like things were trending toward him being a non-factor.
Raiders trade Jakorian Bennett to Eagles for DT Thomas Booker IV
Late on Monday evening, the Raiders stunned the NFL once again by trading Bennett to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV. This rare player-for-player deal gives Las Vegas another piece on the defensive interior, but it ships off a promising young member of the secondary.
Earlier in the offseason, Bennett was running with the second team defense as he returned from a shoulder injury that kept him out of seven games last season. Last week, however, the Silver & Black Sports Network's Jesse Merrick asserted that Bennett had fallen behind in the cornerback battle.
The Athletic's Tashan Reed supported this notion when he wrote that Bennett was the fourth cornerback behind Stokes, Porter and second-year player Decamerion Richardson. It became abundantly clear that the team had no real plans for him, so they went and got something in return.
Carroll has always wanted his defensive backs to look a certain way, with big frames and long arms and a fast and physical play style. While Bennett certainly had speed, he lacked the size that the team's new coach typically covets.
Playing style was also an important factor, as Bennett seemingly did not mesh with or have the proper skill set to play in Carroll's new system in Las Vegas. Bennett also struggled with injuries in his first two NFL seasons, which could have been another component.
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This move serves as a strong point to the rest of the team, especially those who predated Carroll. The message is clear: nothing before this season matters, a player's worth and playing time will be determined by what Carroll feels a player can contribute this season.
He was already popping up in trade predictions last week despite still being on his rookie contract. For this to come true, however, was an unexpected twist of fate for Bennett, who was considered the team's best cornerback less than a year ago.
Bennett spoke to the media last week and told reporters that he had been undeterred by running primarily with the backups this offseason. Instead, he was focusing on his technique and putting good reps on tape while hoping to persevere through the cornerback competition.
In a way, Bennett did lose the competition as the team shipped him off for a depth piece on the defensive line. However, Bennett has shown that he is a good NFL cornerback and has plenty of potential still to tap into. Philadelphia is one of the best places to do that, and he might win a ring or two as well.
Once a Raider, always a Raider!