Johnathan Abram Gives First Thoughts on Casey Hayward Jr.
In the past few days, I have been diving into players' initial reactions to the start of voluntary OTAs.
One of the big free agency signings for the Las Vegas Raiders during the offseason was cornerback Casey Hayward Jr.
Hayward followed defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to Las Vegas, as Bradley served as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator up until the end of last season.
Having an opportunity to spend some time with his new teammate, safety Johnathan Abram talked highly about Hayward and his excitement of adding him to the Raiders.
"Getting a chance to know him, be around him, (Hayward is) a guy who's been in the system, going on six years,” Abram said via Raiders.com. “Just seeing the amount of things he saw, the starts that he got in this system. He pretty much knows it all.
“He goes out there, he talks every single play, in and out of the play. It's just amazing to see. It's very helpful for guys like me and other guys trying to learn this system.
“He's been a tremendous help, and I'm very glad he's going to be a part of this team."
With the Raiders running a new Cover-3 defensive system under Bradley, it’s helpful to bring in a guy who already knows the new system.
Hayward found success within the Cover-3 system as recently as last season. In 2020, Hayward made 14 appearances including 13 starts. He booked 41 tackles including 36 solos, one interception, and eight passes defended.
Hayward was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 1 after he had a career-high 12 tackles and two passes defended.
The Raiders could be looking at a very entertaining pairing with Abram and Hayward this season.
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