This is the ninth and final piece in a series that will look at each position – the additions, subtractions, and pre-training camp depth chart as I see it.
Other positional corps in the series:
Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line, Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Fullbacks, Defensive Line, Linebackers
The Raiders secondary was poor last season both statistically and using the ol’ eye test. There were far too many broken coverages, missed chances and open receivers for anyone’s liking except an opposing offensive coordinator. Many observers thought it was likely the Raiders would target a top free agent corner or at least look to grab one somewhat early in the draft but neither of these things happened.
Instead, the Raiders mostly stood pat, only signing expected depth with James Dockery from Carolina and re-signing Chimdi Chekwa after he signed and was subsequently cut by the Patriots this offseason. They also added Dexter McDonald in the seventh round of the draft and signed a couple of undrafted rookies to add to the squad.
Going into camp, the presumed starters are former first round pick and third year player DJ Hayden along with TJ Carrie, who was an unexpected surprise in 2014 having been taken in the seventh round and still showing sufficient coverage skills in camp to work his way up to a few starts when injuries struck.
Behind Hayden and Carrie, it’s anyone’s guess as to where the team will go. Dockery, Ras-I Dowling, Neiko Thorpe and Keith McGill will all be vying for the backup roles on the team. Newcomer McDonald and Chekwa are in the mix, too, but I think there chances of earning a spot on the 2nd team cornerbacks is low based on the former’s rookie status and the fact that the Raiders let the latter walk without hesitation and only re-signed him after he was cut by the cornerback-needy Patriots.
No matter the order, the 2014 squad will boast a fairly young cornerback corps after relying on aging veterans for the last three years. New addition Dockery has largest number of seasons in the league, five, but at twenty-six is not the oldest on the team. That distinction is shared by Chekwa and Dowling, both twenty-seven.
The Raiders need for their young cornerbacks to grow up quickly. In 2014, neither Hayden or Carrie showed that they were ready to be a shutdown corner and they both gave up their fair share of receptions – not a few of which were back-breaking deep passes for TDs or to set up scoring opportunities.
Dowling, Thorpe and McGill all got playing time with mixed results. Dowling played a good amount of the time as a backup safety instead of playing cornerback. McGill is intriguing with his 6’3″, 211 lb frame and long arms but there were times he looked lost in coverage including one memorable play week 17 versus Denver when he lost his receiver on a cut for a crossing route and was running 15 yards behing him trying to catch up.
If the Raiders’ cornerbacks cannot improve from last year, the teams’ defense will continue to struggle in 2015. If this young corps can step up, however, they have a chance to be a solid-if-not-spectacular squad this season.
For the last line of defense, the safeties, the team again will be relying on Charles Woodson to be the team’s defensive leader and most vocal presence. Woodson had a decent year in 2014 – a great year if you consider that he was 37 at the time. Former defensive coordinator Jason Tarver moved Woodson from a free safety position to playing more strong safety midway through the 2014 season and it was a good change for the veteran because it allowed him to focus on making tackles and reading the defense instead of asking him to roam from sideline to sideline, which was surely hard for his aging body.
GM Reggie McKenzie made safety a priority in the offseason, signing former Eagles safety Nate Allen to a four-year deal. If healthy, the team will look to pair Allen with Woodson to form an upgraded safety duo in 2015, with the latter rotating out to rest as needed.
Unfortunately, Allen may not be healthy at the start of training camp. The Raiders are not required to report injuries until this upcoming training camp and so they do not but what we do know is that Allen suffered some sort of injury during the off-season mini camps or workouts and it was significant enough that Del Rio wouldn’t commit to him being ready at the start of training camp. We will find out more in the next week as to the seriousness – nor lack thereof – of his injury.
Joining Woodson and Allen are Brandian Ross, Jonathan Dowling, Larry Asante, and a couple of undrafted rookies in Jimmy Hall and Tevin McDonald. The team will likely not take more than four safeties and so the group mentioned here is competing for the four – no more than five – safety spots on the team.
Brandian Ross played surprisingly well last year after struggling mightily in 2013 and he seems like the most likely of the backup competitors to make the squad. Jonathan Dowling didn’t play much in his rookie season but the team liked him enough to draft him in 2014 so he has a good shot to earn an increased role in 2015 with a year of learning behind him. Larry Asante played a bit in 2014 but didn’t stand out and I think he ends up being the odd man out this season.
The key to projecting the final 53 players is Allen’s health and there simply isn’t enough information at this time to know how likely he is to be able to play…or not. The information that comes out about his injury over the next week or so will be key.
The Raiders secondary, in general, is a big question mark. There do not appear to be any superstars but perhaps there are enough solid pieces that the team can work together to field a tight secondary through discipline, communication, and unrefined talent. This will be a big challenge for defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and defensive back coaches Marcus Robertson and Rod Woodson.
If they can meet this challenge head on and persevere, the team has a chance to achieve their goal of winning the AFC West in 2015. If these two positions continue to struggle with coverage assignments, communication, and struggling with man coverage then the team is likely doomed to mediocrity again.
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