As of 1 pm Pacific time yesterday, free agency opened, making it official that the Raiders allowed each and every one of their unrestricted free agents hit the open market. Today the highest-profile of those free agents found a home.
Casey Hayward has signed on with the Falcons on a two-year deal according to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport.
The #Falcons are signing CB Casey Hayward to a 2-year, $11M contract, source said. Some key veteran help in the secondary.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2022
Hayward signed with the Raiders last offseason and went on to be their best cornerback. But with Gus Bradley gone and Patrick Graham in as DC, the team has a new scheme that, apparently, doesn’t see Hayward as a fit.
Many thought Hayward would follow Bradley to Indianapolis — just as former Chargers and Raiders teammate Brandon Facyson did — but that didn’t happen.
Either way, the Raiders had no plans on him returning as evidenced by the three cornerback additions they made on day one of free agency — signing Darius Phillips and Anthony Avaretti and acquiring Rock Ya-Sin in a trade with the Colts.
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