Breaking down Damarious Randall deal with Raiders

The Raiders moved fast Thursday night after news broke that their agreement with Eli Apple dissolved. Las Vegas agreed to terms on a deal with former Green Bay first-round pick Damarious Randall, who played for Cleveland last two years.

Let’s take a look at the key points surrounding this deal:

Did this come up out of the blue?
Clearly, the Apple breakdown, caused by questions that came up in his physical, pushed this deal along. But the Raiders showed early interest in Randall, even before agreeing to terms with Apple.

Where will Randall play?
He was a safety in college, but the Packers used him as a cornerback after making him the No. 30 overall pick in 2015. After being traded to the Browns in 2018, Randall was used as a safety. The Raiders will likely use him as a starting safety along with Johnathan Abram. But Randall, 27, could rotate over to cornerback. So, he along with LaMarcus Joyner, gives the Raiders good veteran rotational flexibility at cornerback.

How does it affect the salary cap and the rest of free agency?
Randall agreed to a one-year deal worth just over $3 million. So, the Raiders have between $8-10 million remaining with a good portion of it is reserved for signing draft picks. They could still add a cornerback in free agency. Possibilities include Logan Ryan (he’d probably require the Raiders to restructure some other deals), Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Kennard and Prince Amukamara.

How does it affect the draft?
Randall was injured some last year and he is only agreed to a one-year deal. So, I’m not sure how much it affects the draft. But it might take the Raiders out of the market for a safety.

Bottom line:
Is Randall a true impact player? No, probably not. But he’s a solid pro and he should start. It’s a good rebound from the Apple situation. Plus, I think he’s a better addition than Apple would have been.