The Raiders may be in London, but that didn’t stop the team from auditioning a veteran defensive back. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders worked out safety Will Blackmon yesterday. The 34-year-old is currently working for the NFL Network and was in London reporting on the Bears/Raiders matchup.
The 2006 fourth-round pick out of Boston College bounced around the league during his career, including stints with the Packers, Giants, Seahawks, Jaguars, and Redskins. He started 22 games between the 2013 and 2015 campaigns.
Blackmon’s last appearance came in 2016, when he compiled 41 tackles, three passes defended, and one pick in 15 games (six starts) for the Redskins. He was released by Washington the following preseason, and he later signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL in mid-2018. After appearing in only one game, Blackmon retired and joined the broadcasting ranks.
As Yates notes, the veteran has stayed in shape, and while he’s surely lost a step, he could still provide a team with a veteran presence in the secondary. The Raiders are currently rostering a trio of safeties behind starters Lamarcus Joyner and Karl Joseph: Curtis Riley, Erik Harris, and Dallin Leavitt.