CBS Sport: Raiders close in to sign Dolphins Four-time Pro Bowl CB in a blockbuster deal.

In Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders evened their season record at 1-1 with a huge 26-23 away upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Raiders’ 2024 roster still has holes in both the starting quarterback position and the defensive secondary depth.

Following Week 3, Bleacher Report ranked cornerback as the Raiders’ third most critical need on the roster. As a result, Antonio Pierce’s team has been urged to acquire free agency cornerback Xavien Howard “now.”

At the beginning of the 2024 league season in March, the Miami Dolphins dismissed the four-time Pro Bowler, who was “expected to have significant interest on the market,” according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. But that never materialized, at least not enough to lead to join a new team.

The fact that Howard hasn’t signed yet is kind of incredible, according to Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report.

“Despite his struggles with injuries, he has proven to be a capable player when he is on the pitch. The Raiders might find use for that. Many young males are counting on them to get to the next level of their development. If Howard signs on, they’ll have a solid backup plan in case Jakorian Bennett decides not to go further.”

The 31-year-old Howard signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension in Miami in April 2022, and he played out two seasons of that deal before being released.

Throughout his eight-year NFL career, the former second-round choice has displayed moments of brilliance. In 2020, he led the league in pass breakups (20) and interceptions (10) during his All-Pro season.

In each of the previous two seasons, he has only collected 45 tackles, 12 pass deflections, and one interception.