Well-traveled veteran CB Rasul Douglas is a free agent and as of yet is still unsigned. Originally a third-round pick of the Eagles, he spent the first three seasons of his career in Philadelphia before spending a year in Carolina. The Packers signed him off the Cardinals’ practice squad during the 2021 season, and he broke out in a big way. What was supposed to be a depth signing and spot starter due to a rash of injuries turned into found gold for Green Bay, as Douglas quickly established himself as a long-term starter for the Packers.
The Bills acquired him mid-season in 2023, where he spent the last year and a half. He could never quite hit the highs in Buffalo he did in Green Bay — after a solid 2023 campaign between the two franchises, he had just 58 tackles and five passes defensed last year. PFF graded him at 53.9, which ranked 102nd out of 116 qualifying cornerbacks.
This will be Douglas’ age-30 season, and corners sometimes fall off a production cliff around that time. Still, he put together a good 2023 campaign and could be in for a bounce-back. Even if you don’t believe in him as a full-time starter anymore, Douglas would be one of the best third cornerbacks in the league. He can still help a team if he’s able to find the role he wants at this point in the offseason.
Douglas, 29, was a former third-round pick of the Eagles back in 2017. The Panthers claimed him off of waivers from the Eagles in September of 2020.
Douglas played out the final year of his four-year, $3.17 million contract and made a base salary of $754,750 for the 2020 season with Carolina. He later signed a one-year, $990,000 deal with the Raiders, but Las Vegas released him during camp.
He quickly caught on with the Texans but was among their final roster cuts. The Cardinals signed him to their practice squad and he was signed away by the Packers.
The Packers traded Douglas to the Bills on October 31st, 2023, in exchange for a third and a fifth-round draft pick. He played out the remainder of his deal with Buffalo.
In 2024, Douglas appeared in 15 games for the Bills, recording a total of 58 tackles, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble and five pass deflections.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available Free Agents list.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins have been after a veteran corner for a while now, and that need is only intensified following the Jalen Ramsey trade. The Dolphins sent Ramsey, easily their best corner, out to Pittsburgh alongside TE Jonnu Smith for S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Though Fitzpatrick was the best player in that trade, and he fortifies a thin safety group, it doesn’t exactly help Miami fix its cornerback woes.
Reports circulate that the Dolphins are lowballing veteran corners on the market, and much of their interest is seemingly around Asante Samuel Jr. But if they can get past this and pay an appropriate amount for a roster need, Douglas makes a lot of sense. The depth chart at corner in Miami currently has Storm Duck and fifth-round rookie Jason Marshall Jr. at the top, with Kader Kohou in the slot. Douglas would be a big upgrade on the outside and provide some much-needed stability.
Dallas Cowboys
When healthy, the Cowboys have one of the best cornerback duos in the league. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are studs, but Diggs is recovering from a significant injury and may not be ready to start the season. Even if he is, he might not be ready for a full workload. Third-round CB Shavon Revel Jr. is rehabbing his own knee injury and might not be ready to go to start the year himself. Kaiir Elam, a trade acquisition from the Bills, really struggled in limited action while in Buffalo.
Some cornerback depth would go a long way for the Cowboys, especially while Diggs and Revel aren’t 100 percent. Douglas might not be an every-week starter anymore, but he’s a capable fill-in, someone who could start a handful of games at the beginning of the season if need be. He’d be a definitive upgrade over Elam, too, as depth for the rest of the season.
Green Bay Packers
What about a reunion with the Packers? Green Bay already went through a roster shake-up at cornerback this offseason, losing Eric Stokes in free agency and releasing Jaire Alexander. They signed Nate Hobbs to man the nickel corner spot, and Carrington Valentine and Keisean Nixon are expected to step into starting roles on the outside.
Alexander was the star of this secondary, though injuries have significantly hampered his last few seasons. With him gone, there isn’t really someone you’d expect to step up. Valentine had a varied role over the last couple of years, but always seemed to make plays when called upon, and started most of last year. Nixon is a bit more of a projection, but played a lot last year and held his own. They ranked 54th and 62nd in PFF grade among cornerbacks last year, respectively.
If Douglas can bounce back, he would probably be an upgrade over Nixon. Even if he doesn’t, he’d be a major boost to the Packers’ depth. Right now, they have Kamal Hadden and seventh-rounder Micah Robinson as backups. Bringing Douglas back would elevate a unit the Packers can’t afford to have underperform.
Other teams to watch: Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers
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