The Raiders finally addressed their cornerback need this offseason, signing veteran cornerback Casey Hayward on Tuesday evening. This move isn’t completely surprising given his relationship with new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
If you aren’t familiar with Hayward’s game, he’s only been one of the league’s most productive cornerbacks over the last five years. In fact, no cornerback has a higher grade since 2016, according to Pro Football Focus.
Raiders are signing CB Casey Hayward Jr., per @JosinaAnderson
91.1 PFF Grade since 2016 (1st) pic.twitter.com/WEDBEa4R83
— PFF (@PFF) May 4, 2021
Hayward has primarily been an outside cornerback during his career and the expectation is that he will start at that same spot in Las Vegas. What that means for Damon Arnette is unclear, but don’t be surprised if the 2020 first-round pick starts games on the bench rather than on the field.
There are some questions about what Hayward has left in the tank as he will turn 32 before the season begins. However, he has been very durable throughout his career, missing a total of just two games since the start of the 2014 season.
If nothing else, Hayward gives the Raiders a veteran prescense in the secondary that knows this scheme well. For that reason alone, this was a smart signing by the Raiders that should significantly improve their secondary.
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