Raiders hope for health with talented cornerback duo

NAPA, Calif. — The news on Gareon Conley arrived shortly after Sunday’s practice.

And with it, relief.

“He has a little hip strain there,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “It’s unfortunate. He made a good play on a ball on a one-on-one drill (Friday). Just bumped his hip a little bit. He won’t be out for too long.”

Nothing to curtail the Raiders’ expectations.

The team is very much hitting “reset” on its cornerback position in 2018. That includes a fresh start for Conley, who missed all but two games last year to a shin injury. His minor ailment is a small scare but larger example of reality regarding the Raiders’ starting cornerback tandem.

There is obvious ability between Conley and Rashaan Melvin. This duo could be the secondary’s strength, even.

The caveat is availability. Both look to prove theirs.

“I think, first, Gareon is a very talented football player,” Melvin said. “A young guy, long guy, his skill set is unbelievable, for one. (There are) high expectations for both of us. I feel like we can be one of the best defensive back groups in the league, and that’s what we’re aiming for. That’s our main goal, to come out here every day and practice hard and get better.”

Melvin, 28, knows the importance and tenuous nature of health.

He’s dealt with an array of injuries over his NFL career, having yet to play a full 16-game season. What he demonstrated in 10 games with the Indianapolis Colts last year, before a hand injury required season-ending surgery, contributed to the Raiders’ confidence when offering a one-year contract worth up to $5.5 million.

He shadowed receivers, such as Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Antonio Brown, with success. He showed a knack for breakups, totaling a team-high 13 passes defensed; the next closest Colts defender had seven.

The Raiders are hoping the durability will come.

“I’ve been in the league for six years,” said Melvin, who’s started 21 of 37 career games. “The start of my career, there were a lot of injuries, banged up in the past three years, three years I’ve been healthy. So, just staying the course. Injuries happen in football. It’s a part of the game. You just try to prevent it as much as you can, and if they happen, try to recover as fast as you can and get back out there to help the football team out any way you can.”

Last year, four Raiders cornerbacks played at least 25 percent of the defense’s snaps.

Only one, Dexter McDonald, remains with the club.

Sean Smith was released and imprisoned in January after signing a plea bargain for having assaulted his sister’s then-boyfriend in July 2017. David Amerson was released in Feburary, soon thereafter joining the Kansas City Chiefs. In March, TJ Carrie cashed in with the Cleveland Browns as an unrestricted free agent, signing a four-year, $31 million contract.

Behind Conley and Melvin, myriad veteran cornerbacks form a deep battle in camp. Nick Nelson, a fourth-round pick, is also part of the mix.

It’s a healthy competition.

The healthier, the better.

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Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.