After three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, safety Roderic Teamer will be moving on. ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced on June 20 that Teamer is signing with the New Orleans Saints.
Former Raiders safety Roderic Teamer is signing today with the Saints, per sources. Teamer, who is from New Orleans and played at Tulane, now returns home.
Last season, Teamer played in six games for the Raiders but was released in November following an arrest for driving under the influence. He now heads to New Orleans, where he will reunite with some former teammates, including quarterback Derek Carr. Since Carr’s move to the Saints, several ex-Raiders have joined the team, such as Johnathan Abram and Foster Moreau.
Teamer has started only 11 games in his career and is primarily known for his contributions on special teams. With the NFL’s new kickoff rule favoring kick returners, having skilled special teams players has become even more critical. Teamer’s prowess in this area will be a significant asset for the Saints. Over his career, he has logged 539 special teams snaps, bringing valuable experience to New Orleans in this facet of the game.
In other news, the Las Vegas Raiders have been surprisingly inactive in bolstering their cornerback position this offseason, a position widely regarded as a significant need. Matt Holder of Bleacher Report highlighted this concern in a June 20 column, emphasizing the need for veteran presence and talent upgrade at cornerback.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have a major question mark at corner as Jack Jones projects to be the defense’s top player at the position,” Holder wrote. “Jones finished last season strong but only has five NFL starts to his name, and the team’s other expected starter is Jakorian Bennett, who is also young and got benched as a rookie.
“With such an inexperienced group overall, the Raiders could use a veteran presence and upgrade in talent at cornerback heading into the fall.”
Despite the team’s confidence in their young cornerbacks, adding a seasoned player could mitigate the risks associated with inexperience.
Potential veteran free agents like Stephon Gilmore, Xavien Howard, and Adoree’ Jackson remain unsigned and might be considered once training camp provides more insight into the performance of the current roster. Although the Raiders are not in a rush to sign a cornerback, securing a veteran would provide stability and expertise to the defensive backfield. Developing young talents like Jakorian Bennett and Decamerion Richardson is ideal, but the team must balance this with the need for immediate performance, especially given the strong quarterback talent across the AFC.
A strong defensive line is expected to support the Raiders’ secondary in 2024, but effective pass rush efforts can be undermined if wide receivers are consistently open. Therefore, enhancing cornerback play is crucial for the Raiders to succeed against the high-powered offenses they will face.
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