In the offseason, the Oakland Raiders made the bold move of signing veteran defensive back Lamarcus Joyner to a monster deal. Joyner received a four-year, $42 million contract from Oakland with $21.3 million in guaranteed money.
But through three weeks, Joyner has yet to live up to his contract with the Raiders. According to Pro Football Focus, Joyner has allowed 14 receptions for 119 yards on 15 targets in the team’s first three games. He is the site’s second-worst graded cornerback with a coverage grade of 29.9.
Joyner has struggled in the slot as teams have been able to beat him with both quickness and size. It’s fair to wonder if the 29-year old defender might not be suited to play in the slot any longer. Oakland could move him back to safety and search for another slot defender.
Nevertheless, Joyner hasn’t been the player so far that Oakland expected when they made him one of the highest-paid secondary players in the NFL. If the Raiders defense is going to improve over the final 13 games, Joyner is one of the many players that will need to step it up.
