The Raiders have been searching for three-down outside cornerbacks all season. They settled on some Sunday against Seattle, after rotating cornerbacks most of the fall.
Daryl Worley and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie took most every snap at those outside spots, with mainstay Leon Hall in the slot.
That lineup was new. Rashaan Melvin and Gareon Conley were benched for this crew.
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It became clear Worley would start after he returned from suspension before the Week 5 L.A. Chargers clash. Gruden reiterated that point in no uncertain terms after a 27-3 thrashing by Seattle at London’s Wembley Stadium.
“Worley is a good player. Worley is going to be a starter here,” Gruden said. “He's a guy that's really established himself as a true corner for the Raiders.”
Seeing Worley play over Conley wasn’t a shock after Conley was essentially relieved of duty against the Chargers. Having last year’s first-round pick play exactly zero snaps, however was a surprise. The previous regime considered him a top coverage talent, someone expected to become a mainstay in the starting lineup
Gruden’s staff has questions about his tackling ability and times where he gets beat deep. They have not, however, given up on him.
“Conley is still a young guy,” Gruden said. “We're going to reiterate that over and over. His career is just getting started. He had a couple plays last week that he's got to get better and improve at. He will.”
It remains uncertain how Melvin fits into the Raiders’ future plans. He only played seven snaps against Seattle, subbing in while Rodgers-Cromartie was being examined by trainers.
Melvin was upset by the game’s events, especially after coaches forced him to use new techniques while playing cornerback. Melvin is clearly upset, maybe done with what he’s been taught this season.
Melvin tweeted this right after the game:
Then he fired another tweet out Monday morning:
That might not help Melvin get on the field, though time will tell on that front.
Gruden made it clear there’s another cornerback he’s excited to see.
“Next week after the bye, hopefully you'll see Nick Nelson who is completely healthy,” Gruden said. “That’s our fourth-round pick, so now we'll throw him into the litter and I'll really confuse you guys.”
It has been odd to see cornerback undecided so late into the year, but Gruden has committed to trying new combinations until satisfied. Nelson might be coming for Hall’s snaps. Nelson has experience in the slot and could step in there.