Brandon Facyson, a cornerback, was missing from Las Vegas Raiders training camp, which was one of the biggest mysteries. The team withheld several specifics concerning his practically weeks-long absence from practice.
Facyson made the squad when the Raiders reduced their roster to 53 players, but he was placed on injured reserve right away. On August 29, Las Vegas announced that Facyson will be released with an injury settlement, as a result of the team’s decision to sign Darnay Holmes.
The Raiders are disappointed by this news since Facyson was expected to challenge Jakorian Bennett for a starting position at outside cornerback. The squad welcomed back the seasoned cornerback last year after he had started nine games for them in 2021. Due to an injury, he was limited to just three games and is obviously struggling to maintain his health.
Bennett has a lot of pressure to do well early in the season because Facyson was let go. He started the 2023 season as a starter and played well enough to be benched by the Raiders after four games. Bennett had a great training camp, but it will be hard to put your faith in him until he performs well in games during the regular season.
Could Brandon Facyson Return for the Las Vegas Raiders?
If Facyson were to recover later in the season, the Raiders might give him another try. He is an accomplished cornerback who is familiar with the defense. Additionally, he has a close relationship with general manager Tom Telesco, who signed Facyson in 2018 as an undrafted free agent while he was employed with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Before it was announced that Facyson was being let go, Telesco was very complimentary of the seasoned cornerback.
In a media appearance on August 27, Telesco stated, “Yeah, I mean, Brandon [Facyson] has shown he’s been a starting-level corner in this league.” He’s simply had a bad run of luck these past few weeks. He’s been a really good player when healthy, so we’ll just have to wait and see how things work out.
Given his experience with the scheme and Telesco’s regard for him, it is likely that Facyson will be considered by the Raiders if healthy later in the season.
Speaking with Darnay Holmes, Antonio Pierce Given that Holmes played two seasons in the 2020 and 2021 defense of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, signing him is a reasonable substitute for Facyson. The cornerback and head coach Antonio Pierce have a long-standing friendship.
During his news conference on August 29, Pierce stated, “I’ve known Darnay [Holmes] since he was 13.” He was a freshman on the 7-on-7 team that I coached. I have a good understanding of his father and family, have followed him professionally, and have communicated with him during his college years.
Pierce was drawn to Holmes because of his flexibility. It appears that the Raiders intend to employ the cornerback in a variety of defensive positions.
“Yes, flex your position. That’s crucial for us, isn’t it? Regarding Holmes, Pierce stated. In all honesty, Nate Hobbs is the only one we have that can go outside in and inside out. We become a stronger team as a whole when you can add a player like that.
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