The Oakland Raiders have made a number of small, but important free agent moves this season as they head towards the NFL draft and they may have a few more to make, as cornerback has been a weakness and the team could go after free agents Nnamdi Asomugha or Mike Jenkins as well as Brent Grimes.
According to ESPN.com, the Raiders are targeting former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins, a former first round draft pick that is coming off of a down season. The 28-year-old was one of the cornerbacks for the Cowboys over his first two seasons, but last year he did not play as much behind Brandon Carr, who was signed last offseason. Calvin Watkins at ESPNDallas.com reported that there has been interest by the Raiders, but that "nothing is finalized."
The Raiders are in a tough spot in free agency after having two cornerback spots open and after a number of signings, the pool at the position is a bit thin, with Sean Smith, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Derek Cox all signing contracts, as well as Aqib Talib, who re-signed with the Patriots. Nnamdi Asomugha and Brent Grimes as well as Quentin Jammer and Terence Newman could be options that are still out there.
The Raiders reportedly hosted Newman, who was with the Bengals last year, and they could look towards the draft for players in the secondary, including Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner or Washington's Desmond Trufant. Milliner has the chance to be a number one overall pick, as the chiefs likely are deciding between the cornerback and an offensive lineman after trading for quarterback Alex Smith in the offseason for a two draft picks, including a second rounder in this year's draft.
Oakland has made a number of moves to improve the defense, but they have yet to address the secondary, cutting veteran Michael Huff while signing three linebackers, including Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett, and three defensive linemen after losing Desmond Bryant. The Raiders ranked 20th in passing yards allowed per game with over 235 and they could use an upgrade on the outside and at safety.
The Kansas City Chiefs have the number one pick in the draft and could take Milliner, while the Jaguars are at number two and could be looking at Geno Smith as well as Milliner if he slips. The Raiders have a number of options with the pick, including Milliner, Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel if he falls, as he is the presumptive number one pick.
The team may also be interested in linebacker Brian Urlacher, who could not come to an agreement with the Chicago Bears after playing with the team for 13 seasons. The Raiders went just 4-12 last season and finished the year by losing eight of their final nine games, including a 24-21 loss in Week 17 to the Chargers.
