The Las Vegas Raiders already have a crowded situation at cornerback, but that should not stop them from adding another, one analyst believes.
ESPN's Seth Walder suggested five trades he'd like to see teams make before the start of the season, and Walder suggests the Raiders trade for Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome.
Here's the proposal:
- Raiders receive: CB Greg Newsome II, 2027 seventh-round pick
- Browns receive: 2026 seventh-round pick
"The Raiders spent the offseason stabilizing the organization, bringing in Geno Smith at quarterback and Pete Carroll at head coach," Walder wrote. "The defense has potential with a stout defensive line, but cornerback is the team's biggest weakness. Las Vegas, with over $90 million in 2026 cap space (second most of any team), can afford to bet on Newsome. If Carroll can get the most out of the 25-year-old cornerback, he'll elevate the Raiders' 2025 outlook and could stick around for future seasons."
Back in April, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that Newsome was "believed to be available via trade," so a deal involving the cornerback is possible.
However, that just became less likely in recent days after Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. suffered a torn Achilles, knocking him out for the 2025 campaign.
Now, Newsome is expected to move from the slot to the boundary opposite Denzel Ward, ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi reports.
If the Browns are willing to part ways with Newsome, who is a free agent after this year, he'd definitely be worth a look for a Raiders team that has a question mark in the slot, where Darnay Holmes is currently slated to start.
Holmes has been a major disappointment over his career, with the former fourth-round pick giving up a 75% completion rate in three of his five seasons, and his 105.3 passer rating surrendered in 2024 was tops for his career.
Newsome has also been a disappointment but has fared better in coverage during his career as compared to Holmes, with his 59.8% completion rate allowed being superior to that of Holmes' (68.8%), and Newsome's passer rating allowed is a shade over four points higher than the UCLA product's (87.9 to 83.6).
At the very least, Newsome would offer strong competition for Holmes, but he could very well win the job outright. For the price Walder suggests, trading for Newsome would be a worth a swing for Las Vegas.
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