One of the big needs the Las Vegas Raiders have this offseason is at cornerback. Jakorian Bennett showed enough last season to earn a starting spot in 2025 but Jack Jones may no longer be a fit now that Antonio Pierce isn’t the head coach.
Even if the Raiders keep Jones, he’s likely a better fit as a CB3. They could address the position early in the draft with a player like Michigan’s Will Johnson but they may not want to wait that long.
The Green Bay Packers are currently shopping two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders could be a fit for the veteran. He pitched a trade that sends Alexander to Las Vegas for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick.
“Simply put, the Las Vegas Raiders need impact players on both sides of the ball. They have a need at cornerback and almost $100 million in cap space,” Davenport wrote in a Feb. 27 column. “And at just 28 years old, Alexander could still turn things around and reclaim his status as a shutdown corner.
“With a new regime in Sin City trying to turn things around, acquiring Alexander is worth rolling the dice.”
Injuries Have Derailed Last 2 Years for Alexander
When healthy, Alexander is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. There’s a reason he’s been named Second-Team All-Pro twice. Plus, he’s only 28 so he’s still in his prime. The problem is that he’s rarely been healthy.
He’s played just seven games in each of the last two seasons. He also only played four games in 2021 so in three of the last four seasons, he’s missed 10 or more games. He has two years left on an $84 million contract so that’s a lot of money to take on for a player who hasn’t proven he can stay healthy.
That said, a fourth-round pick is a small risk to take for a potential difference-maker on defense. It would give the Raiders a promising cornerback duo in Alexander and Bennett and would allow them to use their draft picks to address other needs. Trading for Alexander could be worth the risk.
Packers GM Talks Alexander Rumors
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has proven he’s not afraid to trade away big-name players. He’s already dealt Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams in the past.
He was recently asked about an Alexander trade and kept the door open for him to return but also didn’t deny they’d be open to moving him.
“We’ll see; we’re working through that. He certainly could be (in Green Bay), but I think we’ll work through that as we go,” Gutekunst told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine, per ESPN. “We’ve got to get him out there now. I think obviously we’ve talked about there’s been a lot of frustration on his part. He wants to be out there badly, and not being able to be out there at his best has frustrated him, and that has frustrated our football team, too, because we’re better with him. But we’ll see.”
It sounds like Alexander could be retained but the Packers will certainly listen to offers.
