Raiders agree to re-sign former QB who joined rivals last year on blockbuster trade...

Raiders agree to re-sign former QB who joined rivals last year on blockbuster trade…

The Las Vegas Raiders have lost seven of their unrestricted free agents this offseason but are bringing back one UFA. The team announced on March 21 that they’ve re-signed safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.

Las Vegas Raiders 2023 preview: Keep an eye on Isaiah Pola-Mao - Silver And Black Pride

Pola-Mao joined the Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of USC in 2022. He’s been on and off the practice squad but established a role for himself last season. He played in 16 games and caught an interception to go with a sack.

Notably, he’s the nephew of former Pittsburgh Steelers star and Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu. The genetics in that family are strong as Pola-Mao is 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.51 40-yard dash. He has the athletic tools to be a very good player and has shown some flashes.

He’s got potential and the Raiders have a young secondary. The two starting safety spots are locked up but Pola-Mao provides solid depth. He’s only 24 and there’s a lot of room to grow so he’s a good player for the Raiders to take a chance on.

The Raiders received strong play from their safeties last year and Marcus Epps provided a big boost. Tre’von Moehrig also had a bounce-back year. The team has had trouble finding consistency at safety but appears to finally have a solid duo.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic recently gave some insight into the safety depth chart for the Raiders.

“Moehrig improved last season, and he credits a lot of that to the addition of Epps, who did nothing but win when he was on the Philadelphia Eagles,” Tafur wrote in a March 22 column. “They had chemistry from the jump and got more comfortable with each other and Graham’s system as the season went on. Moehrig was regarded as a ballhawk in college, so that is the next step this year. Pola-Mao made some plays off the bench and was a core special teams player last season, and the exclusive rights free agent re-signed Thursday.”

will make any big moves to address the position group this offseason.

While the Raiders appear mostly set at safety, they still have a need for a No. 1 cornerback. Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones are both young players who have shown strong flashes but neither appears to be a true No. 1.

There are still some potential options in free agency. Stephon Gilmore or Xavien Howard would be logical fits. Howard has played under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in the past and Gilmore has played in similar systems. However, both are in their 30s so they’d be short-term solutions.

There’s a good chance the Raiders look toward the draft to add a cornerback. Alabama’s Terrion Arnold seems to be the top option and he should be available to the team in the first round if they decide against drafting a quarterback. Regardless, cornerback is a position Las Vegas will address in the coming weeks and if they can find the right option, the defense could be very good in 2024.

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