With the Raiders adopting a lot of the New England Patriots’ philosophies, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they started to build their team in a similar fashion. One such example is having a handful of safeties on the roster that can each do different jobs.
With the NFL becoming more multiple and more pass-happy than ever, teams need at least three safeties they feel good about having on the field. The Raiders have two in Trevon Moehrig and Johnathan Abram, but Abram has failed to stay healthy for most of his career in the NFL.
That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Raiders look for a veteran safety in free agency. But which one would make sense?
In a recent article by Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus, he named Malik Hooker as one of the biggest values scheduled to hit the free-agent market. Here is what he had to say about the former first-round pick:
“Hooker delivered some strong performances for Dallas in his return from a torn Achilles injury that ended his 2020 season early. He has an intriguing combination of range in coverage with a willingness to add on in run support when playing closer to the line of scrimmage. Yet to turn 26 years old, Hooker will likely be forced to sign another one-year contract on the cheaper side this offseason, but there’s some upside for Hooker as a potential starter in that situation.”
Hooker finally looked healthy at the end of the 2021 season and was arguably the best safety on the roster for the Cowboys. He made plays in the run game and even intercepted a pass at the end of the year. He played in 15 games with one of his missed games coming due to a positive COVID-19 test. For the first time in several years, he looked like the first-round pick so many draftniks loved a few years ago.
Hooker is expected to get only a few million per year in free agency and with the Dallas Cowboys well over the salary cap, they might not be able to bring him back. He would be the perfect complement to Moehrig and Abram and would give them a veteran presence in the secondary. This is a fit that almost seems too perfect for both parties.
