No position was more depleted last season than the safety position. Its lack of depth was tested early and often. By mid-season, the team was signing safeties off the street (D.J. Swearinger) and moving cornerbacks to safety (Daryl Worley).
They have no reloaded and look to take another swing at it. Johnathan Abram, who was lost in the season opener, is back healthy, and the 2019 top pick is assured on of the safety spots. The other spot will see some competition.
Erik Harris vs Damarious Randall
Others: Jeff Heath, Dallin Leavitt
Late in the 2018 season, Erik Harris got the first start of his career. In his second start, he got the first interception of his career. In his third start, he got the second interception of his career.
Gruden had spoken very highly of Harris and he turned out to be just what Gruden said he would be. Despite Gruden’s expectations and Harris’s performance, he would find himself sidelined by the end of OTA’s last year in favor of Johnathan Abram.
A few plays into the second opener, Abram would injure his shoulder. He finished the game, but an MRI afterward revealed serious damage that required surgery. Harris stepped back into the starting lineup opposite Karl Joseph.
Harris can play either safety spot in Paul Guenther’s defense, though his skill set seems more suited for a strong safety. The Raiders wanted to bring in a free safety, so they signed Damarious Randall.
Back when Randall was a draft prospect, Mike Mayock said Randall was “what today’s free safety is all about” and he compared him to 49ers safety Jimmie Ward. Reports had the Raiders very interested in Ward had the 49ers let him hit the market, so going after Randall made sense.
Despite his free safety roots, Randall has played all over the secondary. He started at cornerback for the Packers his first three seasons and played some strong safety for the Browns.
Regardless of the position, the team’s on which the former first-round pick has played have found ways to get him on the field. He has 56 starts in 65 appearances over five seasons.
Randall signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Raiders while Harris is in the second year of a two-year extension he signed in 2019 that pays him $3.25 million this season.
Randall’s stock is down at the moment, while Harris’s is up.
After putting up 14 interceptions over his first four seasons in Green Bay and Cleveland, Randall had no interceptions last season while missing five games to injury. Meanwhile Harris has had five interceptions over his last 17 starts with two of those picks returned for touchdowns.
This is one competition I am really looking forward to playing out on the practice field.
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