The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a narrow 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 after head coach Antonio Pierce's squad had many opportunities to seize control and pull off the upset but failed to capitalize.
Sunday's loss to Kansas City dropped the Raiders' record to 2-6, and it's clear that the franchise needs a hard reset in the offseason. The roster is lackluster, the quarterback situation is a disaster, and the coaching staff has been incompetent for most of the year.
General manager Tom Telesco will have a ton of critical decisions to make in the offseason, one being the future of cornerback Nate Hobbs. The former fifth-round pick has been a solid starter for the Raiders since his rookie year in 2021 and is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Las Vegas should attempt to re-sign Hobbs, but Bleacher Report's Scouting Department believes the Cincinnati Bengals will be a potential destination for the young corner in free agency.
The Bengals secondary is making some progress, but there's still some work to do. That work could get even more difficult as Mike Hilton ages into his 30s. He'll be 31 when next season starts and he has mostly held down the nickel role for the Bengals.
Nate Hobbs has been good at playing on the inside and outside for the Raiders. Cincinnati could use a younger player who is still experienced and has inside-out versatility. That's Hobbs if he makes it to the open market.
Losing Hobbs would be detrimental to Patrick Graham's defense, as the former Illinois standout has quietly been one of the league's most consistent slot corners over the last few seasons.
Hobbs has struggled a bit in 2024, allowing a 65.7% completion rate and a 100.2 passer rating when targeted, but the 25-year-old is still one of the lone bright spots on a dreadful Raiders team.
Adding a physical and reliable cornerback like Nate Hobbs, who has experience playing in the slot and on the boundary, would be an excellent addition to Lou Anarumo's defense.
Hobbs will seek a big payday in free agency, as his rookie deal was minuscule, and he's been a consistent starter since entering the league. Las Vegas should make an effort to retain him, but the Bengals would be an intriguing landing spot for the 2021 fifth-round selection.
