Raiders Veteran Pegged as ‘Painfully Obvious’ Cut Candidate

As the Las Vegas Raiders usher in a new era under general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, few positions have seen more dramatic change than the secondary. After a disappointing 2024 campaign, the new regime wasted little time shedding remnants of the previous front office’s roster decisions. While cornerstone players like Maxx Crosby and Kolton Miller were retained, several starters on defense, including Robert Spillane, Tre’Von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, and even Christian Wilkins, were shown the door. Yet somehow, cornerback Darnay Holmes survived the initial purge.

Holmes provided steady depth in the slot behind Hobbs. While Hobbs missed some time, Holmes stepped in and earned a one-year deal this offseason. That vote of confidence, however, is now looking more like a temporary placeholder than a long-term commitment. And according to Levi Dombro of Just Blog Baby, Holmes could be one of the first notable cuts as the Raiders trim down their roster.

Crowded Slot Battle Could Spell Trouble for Darnay Holmes

At first glance, Holmes appears to bring value through experience. He’s played in 70 games across five NFL seasons (four with the New York Giants, one with the Raiders), giving him a veteran presence in an otherwise unproven secondary. But Carroll has made it clear: experience doesn’t guarantee a roster spot. Players will be judged by performance, not their résumé.

Statistically, Holmes leaves much to be desired. In 2024, he earned a 54.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 165th out of 222 qualified cornerbacks. Opposing quarterbacks also posted a 105.3 passer rating when targeting him, and his 9.1% tackle rate stands out as a liability. While Holmes showed competency in the run game, his coverage inconsistencies continue to overshadow his strengths, even now in training camp.

With the Raiders being thin in the secondary, they’ve used other means to make up for that; testing out safeties at slot corner, where Holmes plays. Reports from training camp have noted that free agent signing Jeremy Chinn has impressed at slot CB, while others like Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Thomas Harper have all logged reps in the slot. While this could be chalked up to preseason experimentation, it suggests the coaching staff isn’t fully sold on Holmes as the go-to nickelback.

Veteran Value or Logical Cut? The Case for Caution

While it’s easy to peg Holmes as a cut candidate, the Raiders’ situation at cornerback isn’t exactly stable. With Hobbs gone, cutting a veteran with Holmes’ experience may be more reactionary than strategic. It’s one thing to experiment in training camp, but it’s another to roll into Week 1 with a group of unproven commodities.

If anything, the Raiders should look to bring in not just a veteran with experience, but one who can hold down the slot cornerback job. And if Holmes can flash in the preseason or show improvement in situational matchups, it might be a tough decision to cut him.

For now, he finds himself in a precarious spot. Whether Holmes survives final cuts depends less on what he’s done in the past and more on what he can show in the coming weeks.