The Las Vegas Raiders completely restructured their roster this offseason in the image of new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. These two came from the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their former players are already scattered throughout the building.
Geno Smith is the obvious connection, as he starred for Carroll in Seattle. But the veteran coach also brought linebacker Jamal Adams and offensive tackle Stone Forsythe to Las Vegas, and Spytek brought in both guard Alex Cappa and linebacker Devin White from his days in Tampa Bay.
This Raiders roster is far from complete, however, as multiple position groups could use bolstering. Fortunately, another Carroll favorite may soon become available, and Las Vegas absolutely has to pounce on this opportunity to acquire a game-changing player.
Raiders should reunite Pete Carroll with Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen
On Sunday morning, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that NFL teams are monitoring Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen as a potential trade candidate. Teams are apparently citing his diminished role in a contract year as a major reason why he might be available.
While Woolen's role has not diminished, considering he has played 97% of Seattle's defensive snaps through four games of the 2025 NFL season, the Raiders should be the first team on the phone if the Seahawks are truly shopping him.
His connection with Carroll speaks for itself, as Woolen was a fifth-rounder in the 2022 draft by the Seahawks and instantly turned into a Pro Bowler during his rookie season. He even tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions during his inaugural campaign.
With a 6-foot-4 frame, weighing 205 pounds and having 33 and 5/8-inch arms, it is no surprise that Carroll invested in him as a core piece of his secondary. He also has 4.26-second 40-yard dash speed, to boot, so he is an incredibly well-rounded athlete.
RELATED: Raiders' endgame with Jackson Powers-Johnson is becoming crystal clear
After an elite start to his career, however, which included the aforementioned Pro Bowl campaign and a third-place finish in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, Woolen has fallen off a bit this season. In 2025, he has given up a passer rating of 106.7 when targeted and has just one pass breakup.
To make matters worse, his Pro Football Focus grade is a mere 40.4, which ranks him 151st out of 158 qualifying cornerbacks. His coverage grade of 40.1 is 140th, so he has been one of the worst cornerbacks in the league this season, according to PFF.
On the bright side, he has not been a great run defender, historically, but his PFF grade against the run in 2025 is 64.7, which is 52nd among cornerbacks. His résumé proves, however, that he is just enduring a rough stretch, and he has played his best football under Carroll, so it could be a great match.
Another area of concern for Woolen is that he gets penalized too frequently, as he has already been flagged six times this season. This brings his total up to 30 penalties through 52 career games, which is a bit too high a rate.
However, despite Eric Stokes and Kyu Blu Kelly performing well enough thus far, Woolen would instantly step into a No. 1 cornerback role in Las Vegas. The Raiders must do what it takes to acquire this young player if he becomes available, as the price would be roughly a Round 4 pick in 2026.