The Raiders don’t appear to be satisfied with the notable additions they’ve already made in recent days. Still in search of upgrades in the secondary, they are “making a run” at cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link).
The Raiders have made plenty of changes to their defense this offseason, most notably signing one of the top edge rushers on the market in Chandler Jones. Regarding the secondary, they also traded for Rock Ya-Sin in a deal that sent Yannick Ngakoue back to the Colts and signed former Raven Anthony Averett.
Still, Gilmore would add quite a bit of pedigree and experience to their CB room. The team still has plenty of cap space to work with, and any additions to the pass defense (which was mid-pack in 2021) considering the firepower that exists in the division would certainly be welcomed.
Gilmore, 31, was traded midseason from New England to Carolina after a new deal with the Patriots couldn’t be worked out. In eight games in Charlotte, he registered two interceptions, helping him to a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, the fifth of his career. While the former Defensive Player of the Year called it a “dream come true” to play for the Panthers, it has long been expected he would at least test the open market.
Gilmore currently tops the list of available corners, which also includes the likes of Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson and fellow Panther Donte Jackson. If he ends up anywhere other than Vegas though, as Bonsignore states, “it won’t be for lack of trying.”
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