The Oakland Raiders have made their move at the quarterback position after working to acquire Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks and now the team is turning their attention to the defense, as they need to stock up on cornerbacks and Tracy Porter could be a prime option.
According to ESPN.com, the team hosted Porter earlier in the week for a free agent visit after he met with the New Orleans Saints, who are also trying to sign him. The team could possibly go after former Raider Nmamdi Asomugha after he was cut by the Eagles and Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins as well as Terence Newman are also options. (UPDATE: Newman signed back with the Bengals).
The Raiders are a bit weak in the secondary after cutting Michael Huff and no one left on the roster has the experience that Porter or Asomugha has. The team ranked 20th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game with nearly 240 and the team was constantly playing catch up against opponents all season. Porter could be a good fit with the Raiders, as he worked with Dennis Allen when he was a coach with the Saints. After playing in Denver for one season and losing his starting job he may be ready to move on.
The Raiders have a number of low-key free agent options in Newman, Porter and Jenkins, and they could also focus on Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner, who is expected to be one of the top picks in the draft. Oakland is in a nice position to take him now after the Matt Flynn trade, as the Kansas City Chiefs could take Milliner, but odds say that they are looking at an offensive lineman.
If the Chiefs select Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel, the Jacksonville Jaguars are up next and the prospect of Geno Smith may be too good to pass up. The team also has been reportedly interested in Florida's Shariff Floyd, leaving Milliner for the Raiders. There were rumors that the cornerback could be the number one overall pick, but Andy Reid has a track record of taking offensive lineman and since the top players are so highly-rated.
The Saints are interested in Porter to help them shore up their secondary, as the team ranked 31st of 32 teams in the NFL in passing defense, giving up nearly 300 yards per game. Part of the reason was due to the bounty penalty that kept head coach Sean Payton away from the team, but there were a number of weak areas in the secondary and the team likely will try to get Porter over the Raiders.
The Saints and Raiders also could look at some deeper draft options, including Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Trufant, who are considered some of the best prospects in the draft in the later rounds. The Raiders were one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL last season after going 4-12 and ranking 28th in the league in rushing. The team has some issues to figure out, including what to do with Carson Palmer, who has refused to take a pay cut from his $13 million salary.
