There aren’t many teams in the NFL that have had more failed first-round picks in the 2000s than the Las Vegas Raiders. The drafting under head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock was particularly bad.
One of the most questionable picks they made was selecting cornerback Damon Arnette in the first round of the 2020 draft. He was widely considered a second or third-round talent, but Mayock was very high on him.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, it didn’t work out as Arnette was cut by the team before he finished a second season. He had brief chances with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, but wasn’t able to get on the field for either.
The last game he played was with the Raiders in 2021. He decided to join up with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL. That turned out to be a wise move, as it helped him land a workout with the Houston Texans.
The workout was a success, and according to NFL insider Jordan Schutlz, the Texans are planning to sign Arnette to a contract. There’s still a long road for the cornerback to actually make the roster, but this is the best chance he’s had at getting back on an NFL field in three years.
Arnette Has Matured
The biggest issue Arnette had when he first came into the NFL was maturity. He had multiple legal issues and was released by the team after somebody on Instagram leaked videos of the cornerback making death threats.
Arnette believes that he has matured a lot in recent years.
“I’m 28 years old right now with three kids, with a mom and dad that loves me and has my back right now,” Arnette told KPRC 2 in the spring. “With coaches, I feel like I’ve proved a complete turnaround. All the coaches that have been with me right now, I feel like their words would be more valuable because I’ve said a lot of things in the past. What I would say is what they see on film, that’s me being out of commission for three years.
“I’m a dawg on the field. I’m more of a professional now than I ever was before. I wasn’t a professional before. I was just a dawg. I found professionalism and a calm state of mind. I feel like I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been.”
Gruden Talks Arnette Signing
Gruden was the coach who gave the go-ahead for the Raiders to draft Arnette, but he didn’t have long to coach him. Regardless, he’s happy that the cornerback is getting another chance.
“He’s got a whole new identity,” Gruden told KPRC 2. “He doesn’t look the same. He doesn’t act the same. He’s not the same. He has changed his identity. He changed the circle of people in his life, in a good way. He’s focused. He’s determined. He’s got to make up for some time that he lost. He’s really concentrating on stringing good days together. I’m really proud of him.
“I see a guy who has reinvented himself. He has done it very impressively. I hope he continues to do that. We’ll all be able to pull for him. Some of the best stories I’ve been involved in with coaching is seeing guys turn it around from adversity. Darren Waller is a great example. He had problems and fixed himself. So did Maxx Crosby. Damon Arnette can do that as well. Hopefully, this opportunity leads to something great.”
