Cornerback Daryl Worley re-signed to one-year contract
ALAMEDA — Cornerback Darryl Worley, who played in 10 games with nine starts for the Raiders last season, was signed to a one-year contract Monday.
Worley, 24, was a restricted free agent, meaning the Raiders had a right to match any contract offer made by another team. His return was anticipated, given that coach Jon Gruden and the defensive staff were pleased with how Worley played after he arrived following his release by the Philadelphia Eagles.
As it stands, Worley is one of the Raiders top three corners along with Gareon Conley and Nevin Lawson, a free agent signed last week from the Detroit Lions.
Originally a third-round pick out of West Virginia by Carolina in 2016, Worley has played in 41 games with 34 starts and has 186 tackles, four interceptions and 24 passes defensed. He spent the last two games of the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
Gruden addressed the need for cornerback depth as well as the need for Worley and the cornerbacks to remain healthy at last week’s NFL owners meeting.
“(Conley) didn’t finish healthy, which is a concern,” Gruden said. “Worley started really good, but got hurt. We need 16 outings from him. Lawson can play nickel, he can play outside. He’s been healthy. That’s what I love about Lawson. He doesn’t miss any action.
“And I think you need five corners.I think you’ve got to have five. Because they do get banged up. It’s a difficult position to play, and sometimes you want to play three or four at a time.”
Worley was traded by Carolina to Philadelphia after the 2017 season but was released by the Eagles after police found him passed out in his car at a traffic light. The arrest and altercation with officers that followed led to a four-game suspension without pay under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
The Raiders were not only pleased with how Worley played upon his return, but how he conducted himself as a Raider. The Raiders were impressed enough to offer Worley a second-round tender, valued at $3.095 million. Worley opted to sign the deal rather than see if any other team made an offer.
Last Jan 1, Worley posted an Tnstagram message to Gruden that included the line “When I was at one of the lowest points in my life, that phone call from you changed my life.”
Other cornerbacks on the roster include Nick Nelson and Montrel Meander as well as Rico Gafford and Makinton Dorleant, both of whom could end up as safeties.
Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock were visiting with quarterback Kyler Murray of Oklahoma Monday and were then moving on to Dwayne Haskins at Ohio State. The two are considered the top two quarterbacks in the draft.
Drew Lock of Missouri and Daniel Jones of Duke could also sneak in to the first round, but the Raiders saw both extensively at the Senior Bowl.
In other free agency news, NFL Media reported the Raiders would visit with running back Robert Turbin Thursday. Turbin, who went to Irvington High in Fremont and Utah State, is a seven-year veteran with 1,354 yards on 388 carries and nine touchdowns for Seattle, Cleveland, Dallas and Indianapolis.