With the recent releases of Tyrell Williams and Gabe Jackson, it’s pretty clear the Raiders are going to try to be aggressive in free agency once again. And it appears they are willing to let go of some high-priced offensive stars in order to help out their defense.
But what player or position will the team target in free agency? One likely spot is at cornerback as they search for another viable outside cornerback to compete with Trayvon Mullen and more specifically, Damon Arnette. The team will want an experienced corner who would fit Gus Bradley’s Cover-3 heavy defense.
One possible fit would be William Jackson III of the Cincinnati Bengals. And in a recent piece by ESPN, Jackson was named the “perfect” fit for the Raiders in free agency. Here is what the site said about the potential pairing:
“The Raiders need all the cornerback help they can get, and while Jackson might never turn out to be the dominant man-to-man cover corner we all thought he could be early in his career, he would still be an upgrade over whatever the Raiders trotted out there last season. Las Vegas earned the second-lowest cumulative coverage grade against players lined up out wide last season. Jackson’s 71.4 PFF grade ranked 26th among the 136 qualifying players at the position.”
Jackson has everything that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden would want in an outside cornerback as he would be the ideal fit with Mullen. Signing Jackson would also give Arnette time to develop and not force him onto the field.
If the Raiders are searching for a No. 1 type of cornerback that can change their defense, Jackson is the player they should consider. It’s going to cost a pretty penny for the team to acquire him, but the front office has shown they have no problem giving out big contracts in free agency. Keep an eye on Jackson as a possible free-agent target for the Raiders.
