Raiders sign veteran for depth in defensive backfield
The Raiders continued their defensive tinkering Monday by adding veteran Rasul Douglas to their cornerback mix.
Originally a third-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, the 6-foot-2-inch, 209-pounder has played two seasons with the Eagles and one with the Carolina Panthers over the past four years. In Carolina last season, Douglas made 11 starts and finished with a career-high 62 tackles with nine pass breakups.
Douglas, 25, finished last season with a pass-coverage grade of 60.3 (out of 100), according to Pro Football Focus, though his grade was affected by two poorly graded games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos. Aside from those outliers, he was consistently grading at an average to above-average level.
Douglas is expected to compete for time in a reserve role, but he could push second-year cornerback Damon Arnette for a starting job.
Of the 821 snaps Douglas played last season, 721 came while lined up as an outside cornerback. He played 31 snaps at slot cornerback, a position vacated by the release of Lamarcus Joyner.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.