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Raiders Make Decision on Starting CB: Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 11:29 AM ET

The Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco era is considered a failure for the Las Vegas Raiders, as the tandem won only four games last season before losing their jobs after just one year. However, the duo gave the new regime the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they added a handful of great players during their tenure, like Brock Bowers, Christian Wilkins, and Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Not every addition helped the Raiders, as players like Gardner Minshew, Alexander Mattison and Jack Jones did more harm than good for the team in 2024. On Sunday, Vincent Bonsignore from the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the team was going to release Jones on Monday if they could not find a trade partner.

Jones joined the Raiders halfway through the 2023 campaign after Pierce took over as the interim coach. That year, he was a shutdown corner for Las Vegas, allowing a quarterback rating of 63.0 when targeted and contributing two of the most impressive and memorable pick-sixes for the Silver and Black in recent memory.

However, in 2024, Jones took a massive step back as he relinquished eight touchdowns last season and got benched at one point for a lack of effort. He is still a young and talented player, but his "boom or bust" mindset must not have resonated with the Raiders' new regime. Look for Las Vegas to target a big and solid cornerback in the draft that fits the mold of what Coach Pete Carroll is looking for.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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