Oakland Raiders: David Amerson’s Play Could Mean The End For D.J. Hayden

One of the Oakland Raiders breakout stars of the season, David Amerson could make a name for himself around the league soon, thus making first-round bust D.J. Hayden’s future in Oakland uncertain.

The Oakland Raiders have been waiting for players in their defense to step up and play better, and they may have found a diamond in the rough with the addition of cornerback David Amerson earlier this season. Amerson, a cast off from the Washington Redskins after a lackluster 2014, was put into the starting lineup this past Sunday against the Titans after embattled starter D.J. Hayden was benched and played very well.

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Amerson has definitely taken advantage of the opportunities he’s been given this season. So far, in nine games played Amerson has 2 picks and 19 passes defended. This was highlighted during the Titans game Sunday, his first start for the Raiders. Amerson had a pick and defended 6 passes, and the Titans definitely tested him as Hayden’s replacement.

When you consider what the Raiders are paying Amerson for his services, the recent streak of good play from him looks even better. A waiver wire pickup generally doesn’t give this type of production; for just over $600,000 this season and $800,000 next season, the Raiders scored big time with Amerson.

If the Raiders can’t trust Hayden in this type of game, how can they rely on him going forward in 2016?

More importantly, the Oakland Raiders may now have a reason to move on from Hayden, who has under impressed so far during his NFL tenure. It’s obvious from Hayden’s benching and Amerson’s promotion that the Raiders aren’t willing to put up with poor performances from Hayden just because he’s a former 1st round pick.  Amerson is picking the right time to play his best ball.

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Pro Football Focus agrees. Per profootballfocus.com, Amerson, despite having only one start under his belt in 2015, is ranked 24th out of 113th amongst all NFL corners. By comparison, Hayden has dropped to 109th overall; not something any Raider fan wants to see or is surprised by. When you consider he’s making over 2.8 million this season, the comparison gets even worse.

With Hayden standing to make over 3.2 million dollars next season for Oakland, it would not surprise anyone to see the Raiders cut him at season’s end, especially if Amerson continues playing at the level he’s been playing at (contract information courtesy of sportrac.com).

This Sunday’s game against the Chiefs will be a strong sign when it comes to the Raiders future plans for their cornerback position, as starting Amerson again over Hayden against a division opponent in a big game that could have playoff implications would say a lot. If the Raiders can’t trust Hayden in this type of game, how can they rely on him going forward in 2016?

Amerson has a definite opportunity to make his case for being the Raiders starting cornerback going forward, and if he plays the way he did against the Titans it would be illogical to favor Hayden over him. Money can’’t be the deciding factor for Raiders management; only wins matter now, and the Raiders can’t be too prideful to admit they made a mistake with Hayden.

Next: Did Oakland save their season against the Titans?

With five games left and the Raiders in the thick of the playoff hunt in the AFC, Amerson could be a final piece of the puzzle in Oakland’s defensive turnaround.