The Raiders have agreed to sign free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist to a one-year deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Reggie Nelson‘s contract expired after last season, the second of a two-year deal, and Oakland has a need on its back line alongside Karl Joseph. The Raiders were targeting secondary help this offseason but have yet to bolster that unit with an addition. They lost slot corner T.J. Carrie to the Browns on Wednesday.
Pro Football Focus graded Gilchrist, 29, as a middle-of-the-road safety last season, when he was with the Texans. Despite some big expenses over the past few years, the Raiders have continued to struggle in coverage. They’re now set to have three new starters in their secondary.
While Oakland has spent much of its offseason resources on offensive additions such as Jordy Nelson, Doug Martin, and Derek Carrier, the club also re-signed defensive tackle Justin Ellis and is nearing a deal with linebacker Tahir Whitehad.
[RELATED: Raiders Depth Chart]