Raiders ‘must consider’ signing Stephon Gilmore: analyst

The Las Vegas Raiders have cooled the idea of ​​adding another cornerback this offseason, but they have yet to have any serious workouts. Once the pads are in place at training camp, the team will have a much better idea of ​​its strengths and weaknesses.

Right now, Las Vegas is settling for a combination of Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Nate Hobbs and Brandon Facyson. However, none of them have proven that they can consistently be the No. 1 cornerback for an entire season.

Fortunately, there are still some solid options available in free agency. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently reviewed some free agents the Raiders “need to consider” and listed cornerback Stephon Gilmore at the top of the list.

“While the Raiders are not widely considered title contenders, they could offer Gilmore the opportunity to play with an ascending defense and a team that could make a push for the playoffs,” Knox wrote. “Las Vegas also has ample space to make a competitive contract offer.

Gilmore has an estimated market value of $9 million per year, and the Raiders could afford to go a little higher than that. A two-year, $18 million deal with added incentives would likely attract attention of Gilmore.”

Gilmore was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, but he’s now 33 years old. He most recently played for the Dallas Cowboys, where he started all 17 games for the franchise. Even though he’s getting older, he proved last season that he’s still durable.

Gilmore is no longer the player he once was, but can still be a useful starting cornerback. Given the late arrival of free agency, this is probably the best the Raiders can get. Gilmore would provide veteran leadership to a young secondary. The Raiders seem to prefer to rely on the players they already have, but they can’t ignore their options if it’s clear they need an upgrade.