The Las Vegas Raiders have had many high-profile draft busts over the years, but one of the most notable was cornerback Damon Arnette. When the team drafted him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, it came as a massive surprise.
He was expected to be a second or third-round player, but former general manager Mike Mayock was very high on him. It didn’t take long for Arnette to struggle on the field and off the field. He lasted less than two seasons in Las Vegas before getting cut.
He spent some time with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs since, but hasn’t played an NFL game since 2021. He’s most recently been playing with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL, where he’s been trying to revamp his career.
It appears he’s done enough with the Roughnecks to garner some NFL attention. According to KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson, Arnette has worked out with the Houston Texans.
Arnette has been in Houston, so he’s been close to the Texans. He’s already 28, so there isn’t much time for him to make an NFL career happen. The Texans might be the best chance he’s had to get back on the field in years. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they gave him a chance in training camp.
Star CB Now Available to Raiders
Poor drafting is a big reason why the Raiders are still unsettled at cornerback. As of right now, it’s unclear who will start at cornerback for the team this season.
The room is really young, and they might want to consider adding a veteran. Luckily, an interesting option just became available. The Green Bay Packers released former All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, and Jacob Camenker of USA Today believes the Raiders are a fit for him.
“Pete Carroll has earned a reputation for coaching up cornerbacks during his NFL career, but the Raiders are presently lacking a No. 1 corner,” Camenker wrote. “Alexander would change that, and he projects as a nice longer-term complement to third-round rookie Darien Porter – a raw, bigger-bodied defensive back.
“The Raiders already signed one former Packers cornerback during the offseason in Eric Stokes. Perhaps they will go back to the well and target Alexander.”
Raiders Planning to Use Jeremy Chinn in Multiple Ways
While the outside cornerback jobs are unresolved for the Raiders, the nickel cornerback spot is even more concerning. Free agent signing Jeremy Chinn is listed as a safety, but he has experience playing all of the defense, including in the slot.
He takes pride in his versatility and is willing to do whatever the team needs him to do.
“I think it started early on in my rookie season,” Chinn said, via ESPN. “Just being in a situation where I was asked to do a lot of certain things and just kind of made my mindset like, this is the life of the NFL, like, there’s going to be a lot of different roles, a lot of different roles, a lot of different responsibilities. So I just kind of took that and rode with it for the rest of my career.”
