The Las Vegas Raiders didn't have a lot of bright spots last season, but Eric Stokes was undeniably one of them. Signed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal last offseason, he was clearly the team's best cornerback and the Raiders' second-best defender after Maxx Crosby.
As last season went along, Stokes upped his market value as he moved toward hitting free agency again in March. He also made himself into someone the Raiders need to re-sign, if at all possible, and should be seen as a building block by the new coaching staff.
Back in December, as it became clear a coaching change was coming, Stokes told ESPN's Ryan McFadden that he was open to coming back to the Raiders if the opportunity is there.
While it's possible that has changed, and in general, Stokes should see what's out there on the open market (as any free agent should), it also feels like bringing him back will be a top priority for the Raiders' front office. Spytek just confirmed as much.
John Spytek indicates Raiders are efforting to re-sign Eric Stokes
Until the "legal tampering period" for free agent negotiations starts, the Raiders have exclusivity when it comes to talking to Stokes, and they can re-sign him before he officially hits the open market. On a very short list of players who are in line to be re-signed, Stokes stands out as the No. 1 choice.
After his more formal session with a broader set of reporters during a podium session at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, Raiders' general manager John Spytek talked to Las Vegas reporters at the event in a scrum-style availability about Stokes.
"We've had good dialogue with Eric about coming back. We're going to keep working this week," Spytek said. "I thought he played well this year. He played; he was healthy, which has been something in the past that has kind of nipped him in the butt a little bit. But he played 16 of the games this year, and (I'm) super happy with him. He competed. He did do what I knew he was capable of when I evaluated the player coming out, and I'd love to keep them around."
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While talking to other teams or negotiating any kind of contract terms with outside free agents is not technically allowed right now, Stokes' agent may be able to get some sense of what his market looks like during the week in Indianapolis for the Combine.
Then those unofficial offers could be brought back to the Raiders, while they're technically the only team who can sign Stokes. Then maybe a deal will be quickly struck to keep him in Las Vegas for the next few years.
Stokes should see what the broader market for his services is, and he should not make a free agency decision until that is clear. But the Raiders are well-positioned to make him the best offer he'll get, and Spytek has more or less said they won't be stingy in that regard.