New Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll obviously does not mind stealing a former Seattle Seahawks player or two. Carroll's team traded for Seattle quarterback Geno Smith this offseason, for instance, and the move was certainly made easier by Carroll and Smith having a positive relationship.
Carroll has often held on to coaches or players too long because he values loyalty. That could help him make the Raiders better sooner rather than later because he is adding former quality Seahawks, like Smith.
The coach and Raiders general manager John Spytek might not be done acquiring former Seattle players, either. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who was drafted by Seattle in 2017 and played for the Seahawks through 2020, reportedly visited the Raiders on Wednesday and could sign at any point.
A Pete Carroll move could force the Seahawks' hand
Seattle is seemingly interested in Griffin, too. The Seahawks have met with the free agent twice this offseason, but a signing did not seem imminent. Maybe general manager John Schneider wasn't sold on bringing back a player who made the Pro Bowl for the Seahawks in 2019, but Seattle is interested in kicking the tires on adding a veteran cornerback.
Besides Griffin, Seattle also had a visit with Rasul Douglas. For now, the Seahawks would go into Week 1 with a trio of cornerbacks that feature Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe. Witherspoon is great, Woolen is mercurial, and Jobe needs to prove himself all over again this year.
If Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald definitely want to add another corner, they might feel pressed to do so if Carroll picks up Griffin. While the veteran cornerback has bounced around the league a bit since 2022, he is still solid in coverage and good against the run. He is worthy of signing with some team.
Should Griffin sign with the Raiders, and Seattle is not interested in Douglas, the team could turn its entire attention to trying to sign recently released Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Alexander is extremely good in coverage, but he also gets hurt a lot.
Signing him shouldn't break the Seahawks' cap space, and might only be on a one-year deal where he has to prove he can stay healthy. If he is available for most games, he is going to augment Seattle's already good defense.
Maybe John Schneider is willing to wait to see how many potential suitors Alexander has, but if Pete Carroll and the Raiders scoop up Griffin, that would mean one less solid cornerback on the market making Alexander a higher priority. The Seahawks should likely make a more aggressive push for Alexander if Seattle wants to add a corner, something they have implied they want.
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