Veteran cornerback visits Raiders on Monday
Veteran cornerback Marcus Peters, an Oakland native who grew up a Raiders fan, was in Henderson visiting with the club on Monday and could be added to the revamped secondary.
The 30-year-old Peters played the last two-plus seasons in Baltimore after being traded to the Ravens by the Rams in 2019. In that time, he has 10 interceptions, three of which he’s returned for touchdowns. This, despite missing all of 2021 with a torn ACL injury.
Over a full career that began in 2015, Peters has 32 interceptions, returning six for TDs.
On paper, the Raiders could use veteran help at cornerback even after addressing the position through free agency and the draft.
On draft weekend, Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler addressed the possibility of making some veteran additions.
“Whether it ends up being the free-agent market, whether it ends up being the trade market, whether it ends up going down even farther down the list there prior to the cut down to 53,” Ziegler said. “I mean, there’s going to be some other opportunities for us to add players. There’s still some quality players out there that have been productive NFL players.”
From a production and experience perspective, Peters is clearly someone who makes sense for the Raiders depending on how much he has left in the tank.
As it stands now, only Nate Hobbs is a returnee who is in line for a starting job, with free agent newcomers Brandon Facyson, David Long, Duke Shelley and rookie draft pick Jakorian Bennett all in the mix. Holdovers Amik Robertson, Sam Webb, Tyler Hall and Bryce Crosby also are in the running for starting jobs and rotational roles.
Aside from Hobbs, though, none of the other veterans have been consistent starters. The addition of Peters, who has 103 career starts, would add a player who has performed at a high level over a prolonged period of time.
Also on Monday, the Raiders signed third-round pick Byron Young out of Alabama and free-agent wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson.
Young, a defensive tackle, is expected to push for a starting or rotational role as a rookie. He finished his Alabama career with 138 tackles, including 22.5 for loss, and eight sacks.
After going undrafted in 2020, Wilkerson has spent the past three seasons with the Patriots. He has played in four games, making four catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
To make room on the 90-man roster, the Raiders waived wide receiver Tyler Johnson.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.
