On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders waived cornerback Marcus Peters who started in all 12 of their games, lining up mostly on the boundary against the opposing team’s top receiver.
Peters made a few big plays, including a pick-six against the Detroit Lions in Week 8, but according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the team questioned his effort.
“His tackling was poor, including a whiff in the second quarter against the (Kansas City) Chiefs, and his effort was questioned,” Tafur wrote.
Anyone who watched Peters during his time with the Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens knows he’s struggled to tackle, but the once ball-hawking cornerback made enough game-changing plays in coverage to compensate for his flaws.
Since Peters tore his ACL in September of 2021, he’s gone on a sharp decline.
Last year, with the Ravens, Peters allowed seven touchdowns and a 113.7 passer rating in coverage. Through 12 weeks this season, he’s permitted three touchdowns and a 100.9 passer rating. Moreover, if you look through social media, you can find clips of his questionable or poor efforts to make stops:
Interim head coach Antonio Pierce had to make a change in the secondary. The supposed leader of the cornerback room hadn’t set a good example. The coaching staff benched Peters in the second half of last week’s game with the Chiefs.
During their Week 13 bye, the Raiders must tab a new starter or utilize a platoon of defenders to replace Peters, who played 91 percent of the defensive snaps.
Who could see an expanded or a different role coming out of the bye against the Minnesota Vikings? Let’s take a look at five potential replacements for Peters.
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Simple fix for Las Vegas Raiders: Jack Jones replaces Marcus Peters
According to Tafur, the Raiders nearly cut Peters early this season. The team’s decision to claim Jack Jones off waivers makes more sense beyond his familiarity with Pierce from their days at Arizona State.
Perhaps the Raiders had an idea that they would move on from Peters at some point this season. If so, Jones seems like the most logical replacement on the perimeter.
Last week, against the Chiefs, Jones played a season-high 67 percent of the defensive snaps, exclusively on the boundary.
Last year, as a rookie, Jones started in two out of 13 games with the New England Patriots, playing 54 percent of the defensive snaps, and fared well. He logged six pass breakups and two interceptions while allowing a 54.1 percent completion rate and a 64.8 passer rating in coverage.
Jones’ expanded role against the Chiefs may be an indicator that he’s the first in line with an opportunity to take over the vacant lead cornerback job. He could start opposite Amik Robertson with Nate Hobbs in the slot.
Back from injured reserve fix: Brandon Facyson replaces Marcus Peters
Here’s one of two wild-card options. Some people have forgotten about Brandon Facyson’s second stint with the team. In September, the club placed him on short-term injured reserve because of a shin injury.
Because the Raiders placed Facyson on injured reserve after they set their initial 53-man roster, he can play at some point this season. Pierce left the door open for the 29-year-old cornerback’s return.
Facyson hasn’t played a snap since Week 18 of the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts. Nonetheless, the coaching staff has kept him around for a reason. At 6-2, 197 pounds, he could be a better matchup against bigger wide receivers than Robertson, who’s listed as 5-9, 183 pounds on the team’s official website.
Transition fix: Nate Hobbs replaces Marcus Peters, Tyler Hall mans the slot
Coach Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can get creative with their cornerback personnel.
Hobbs lined up mostly on the perimeter through the 2022 term (500 snaps per Pro Football Focus), and he covered the boundary in Week 11 against the Miami Dolphins after Robertson left the game with a head injury.
Though Hobbs has struggled at times on the outside, Graham may be willing to continue that experiment and insert Tyler Hall in the slot position.
In a small sample size, Hall has shown some flashes in the slot with the ability to cover and tackle in open space. Last year, he allowed a 56.3 passer rating in coverage and followed up an 87.5 passer rating in coverage through 12 games this season, per Pro Football Focus. Hall has yet to allow a touchdown in his two seasons with the Raiders.
Hall’s potential allows the coaching staff to move Hobbs around in different packages.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders served a reality check in Week 12, must focus on future
Rookie fix for Las Vegas Raiders: Jakorian Bennett replaces Marcus Peters
The Raiders could give rookie fourth-rounder Jakorian Bennett another shot to earn a starting spot. For the most part, he’s struggled in his first year, allowing a 102.4 passer rating and a touchdown in coverage. He’s also missed seven tackles and committed four penalties (three for defensive pass interference).
Despite a rough career start, Bennett has plenty of room to grow. If he uses his feet to get himself in a good position to make plays on the ball instead of using his hands in panic mode, the rookie can turn his season around with a strong finish after the bye.
With that said, Graham may prefer to ease Bennett back into a small role after the team left him inactive as a healthy scratch against the Chiefs.
The Raiders must decide if it’s time to bank on potential rather than a more experienced defensive back in their decision to replace Peters. Bennett would need a strong showing at practices to start over any of the veterans.
Longshot fix: Sam Webb replaces Marcus Peters
Pierce and Graham could throw a curveball and call up Sam Webb, who’s on the practice squad. He’s been around the team for two years.
Last year, Webb made the 53-man roster as a rookie undrafted free agent out of Missouri Western and started in three out of 17 games. Though Webb only played 29 percent of the snaps in 2022, he has more experience in Graham’s system than Jones, Bennett and Facyson.
Back in September, the Carolina Panthers signed Webb to their active roster, but they released him in October. A week later, the Raiders re-added Webb to their practice squad. Apparently, the team sees enough in him to develop his talent.
Webb may have a slim chance to break into the rotation if Jones and Bennett aren’t ready for bigger roles and Facyson needs more time to recover from a shin injury.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.