HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract on Monday to retain cornerback Eric Stokes, a person with knowledge of deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been finalized.
Stokes’ deal includes $20 million in guaranteed money.
He signed a one-year contract with the Raiders last season after spending his first four years in Green Bay. Stokes started 16 games to give Las Vegas some stability at an otherwise shaky position, finishing with five pass breakups and 53 tackles. Both were his second-best career totals, behind his rookie-season numbers of 14 pass breakups and 55 tackles.
Pro Football Focus rated him the 18th-best cornerback among 114 at the position.
The Raiders enter free agency on Wednesday with nearly $112 million in salary cap space, according to overthecap.com, easily the most in the NFL. They also have the No. 1 overall draft pick and are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, as well as the 14th selection after agreeing to trade defensive end Maxx Crosby to Baltimore on Friday.
Las Vegas also is expected to cut veteran quarterback Geno Smith.
Second-year general manager John Spytek hopes to use all those assets to help turn around a franchise that went 3-14 last season. The Raiders also enter next season with their third coach in three years with former Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak taking over.
