When the Raiders initially agreed to terms with former Rams’ safety Lamarcus Joyner, the belief was that the team was going to use him all over the field. Just a few days after the signing, we now have confirmation on that assumption.
According to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders plan to use Joyner as the team’s primary slot cornerback. Joyner has experience playing in the slot, as he played there at the beginning of his career. Even if the Raiders only signed him to be a slot cornerback, given that he received just over $16 million guaranteed over four years, it would have been a steal.
Last season, the Raiders played a variety of players in the slot, including Leon Hall and rookie Nick Nelson. Together, those two struggled as Hall dealt with a back injury, and Nelson just wasn’t ready to handle the job. Clearly, Oakland wanted to improve that position and Joyner is one of the best in the league at covering slot receivers.
Ultimately, this may be the best news for the defense as it could allow more snaps for Erik Harris, who played well last season. In any event, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is going to find a way to get his best 11 defenders on the field and adding a player with Joyner’s versatility makes that easier to do.
