The Las Vegas Raiders continue to retool a secondary that has already undergone significant change this offseason. On Tuesday, they brought in three defensive backs for tryouts—veteran safety Terrell Edmunds, along with Mekhi Garner and B.J. Mayes—according to the NFL’s official transaction wire.
Among the group, Edmunds is the most recognizable name. A former first-round pick out of Virginia Tech, Edmunds was selected No. 28 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and started 75 games over five seasons with the franchise. His rookie contract included a $5.86 million signing bonus, but Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option and re-signed him in 2022 to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. From there, his career took on more of a journeyman arc.
After brief stops with the Eagles, Titans, Jaguars, and most recently the Chargers’ practice squad in January 2025, Edmunds finds himself trying to crack a Raiders roster that suddenly finds itself in need of experienced depth.
Las Vegas Raiders Tryout 3 Safeties, Including Terrell Edmunds
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That need became more pressing following the weekend’s scrimmage injury to defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr., who suffered a broken fibula, as first reported by The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. Though not a starter, Johnson had been earning meaningful snaps with the first-team defense—often rotating in as a safety when Jeremy Chinn slid into the nickel in sub-packages.
Lonnie Johnson Return Timeline
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll expressed optimism about Johnson’s recovery timeline, telling Bonsignore there’s a “genuine belief” the veteran will return this season—“sooner rather than later.” While Carroll has a well-earned reputation for seeing the glass half full when it comes to injuries, the idea of Johnson returning midseason after a broken leg is notable.
For now, the Raiders face a roster management dilemma. With just $175,000 guaranteed on Johnson’s one-year, $1.69 million deal, the front office could conceivably move on with minimal financial impact. But there’s no indication that will happen. Instead, Las Vegas may carry Johnson onto the 53-man roster and place him on injured reserve afterward—preserving their ability to activate him later without using one of their two pre-cut IR-return designations, which would count against the league’s eight-activation cap.
That’s where Edmunds enters the picture. At 28, he’s not far removed from a stretch as a full-time starter in one of the league’s most physical defenses. Though he’s no longer viewed as a foundational piece, his experience and versatility could help a Raiders unit now relying on younger, unproven players like 2023 fifth-rounder Christopher Smith and 2024 undrafted free agent Thomas Harper, who stepped in following Johnson’s injury.
Chinn is expected to start at one safety spot, and Isaiah Pola-Mao, whom the team re-signed this offseason, remains in the mix. But the Raiders’ depth behind them is thin, and Edmunds’ track record may offer the type of insurance the team suddenly needs.
While it’s unclear whether Edmunds will earn a contract out of his Tuesday workout, the fit makes sense on paper. With 80 career games played and multiple playoff starts under his belt, he could be a stabilizing force on a defense that’s still finding its identity—and now, finding reinforcements.