The Washington Redskins invested a second-round pick into cornerback David Amerson back in 2013. He played a grand total of 33 games for the Skins before being waived in September because of poor play and concerns about his attitude. Sure, the Redskins were trying to send a message to the rest of the franchise and change the culture in D.C., but there's no denying that Amerson underwhelmed in his first NFL stint.
The Oakland Raiders then took a flier on the young CB, and something funny happened: he started to play better. He didn't suddenly become Richard Sherman, but he did play well enough that Pro Football Focus ranked him as the NFL's most improved player last season.
"The former NC State standout posted a positive production grade in 2015, despite being targeted 104 times (sixth-most among NFL CBs)," Amerson's report read. "On those targets, he allowed just 58 completions and one touchdown. He tied for fifth overall with 13 passes defended, and also picked off four passes. Last season, he allowed more completions (61) on fewer targets (91), and an NFL-high 10 touchdowns when targeted. Quarterbacks had a 140.2 rating when targeting Amerson in 2014; this season, that number dropped to 62.7. His improvements have brought him up to an 83.4 overall grade, good for 15th out of all cornerbacks this season."
Given Amerson's improvements, the Raiders should work to lock him up long-term sooner rather than later. As we saw with Prince Amukamara and Casey Hayward this offseason, even non-star cornerbacks can cost a pretty penny on the open market. Oakland would save themselves a significant chunk of salary cap space if they got a deal done now. Amerson's 2016 cap hold is just $930,123.
Though cornerback is no longer as pressing of a need as it was thanks to the signing of Sean Smith in free agency and the secondary additions of Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph, Oakland's decision to decline former first-round pick D.J. Hayden's fifth-year option suggests that he may not be on the roster beyond next season. General manager Reggie McKenzie has had a stellar last two years calling the shots for the Raiders. Re-signing Amerson is just the next logical step.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Grat_Katzby
