Jon Gruden loves his veterans. Right? That’s the reputation he’s got anyway. So, when the team signed 31-year-old cornerback Prince Amukamara this offseason, he seemed to fit that ideal. The acquisition was widely met with approval from Raider Nation. Certainly more so than the early attempts to sign Eli Apple — a deal that fell through.
Today, the Raiders released Amukamara who was initially pegged as a starter heading into this season. But mostly he was an insurance plan in case first round pick Damon Arnette needed some time to develop.
Arnette has looked great in camp and since Amukamara isn’t at the stage of his career where he is interested in being a backup, he was allowed to find a team that would see him as a starter.
What’s left with the Raiders is a young secondary. Like extremely young.
Nevin Lawson is 26, but he won’t be on the roster to begin the season due to a suspension he received for using his helmet as a weapon in last year’s season finale.
That means the list of the cornerbacks left on the roster with more than one year of experience has one name on it — Lamarcus Joyner.
The 29-year-old former safety was signed last offseason to man the slot.
Every other cornerback on the team was drafted or signed as an undrafted free agent since last year.
Last year, the Raiders drafted Trayvon Mullen (22) and Isaiah Johnson (24) and signed undrafted free agents Keisean Nixon (23), and Dylan Mabin (22). This year they drafted Damon Arnette (23) and Amik Robertson (22) and signed undrafted rookie Madre Harper (22).
And that’s it, folks. That’s the cornerbacks on the roster right now. The team will pick probably six of them for the regular season roster.
And along with starting safety Johnathan Abram, who was drafted in the first round last year, they figure to have a secondary with a rookie (Arnette) and two second-year starters (Mullen).
Quite the youth movement.
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