The Oakland Raiders have surprisingly decided to move on from their 2017 second-round draft pick less than 16 months with the organization. Safety Obi Melifonwu was waived/injured on Thursday in a move that simultaneously correlates with the Raiders signing of veteran Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
The #Raiders have waived S Obi Melifonwu, a former 2nd rounder. He's been injured, but they also never quite felt he loved football enough. https://t.co/3VLUAriPTn
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 23, 2018
NFL teams now have a chance to claim Obi Melifonwu off of waivers, but if somehow he goes unclaimed, he will revert back to the Raiders Injured Reserve.
Melifonwu blew up the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine a little over a year ago, but unfortunately that's the highlight of his NFL career. He leaves the Raiders with a stat line of just seven tackles, mostly due to his inability to stay healthy. It's likely the leading factor as to why he's now on the waiver wire.
For the Dallas Cowboys, this could be an opportunity to provide much-needed depth to their safety position. Obi Melifonwu is someone they had shown an interest in prior to the 2017 NFL Draft, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will they throw their hat in the ring and try to acquire him off of waivers?
I think the opportunity for the Cowboys to have a chance at a freakishly athletic gifted defensive back like Melifonwu is too good to pass up. I would be completely shocked if they didn't at least put in a waiver claim for him, even if his injury history is somewhat of a concern.
I believe Melifonwu's best football is still ahead of him, which shouldn't be all that big of a surprise considering the way his NFL career has gone thus far. But, the reason I think the Cowboys will and should be interested in acquiring him is because he fits Kris Richard's prototype to a “T” due to his height and length, measuring in at 6'4″, 224.
From a personal standpoint, I think this would be a great move on the Dallas Cowboys part. They love reclamation projects of former high draft picks, and he plays a position of need. Makes sense, right?
Unfortunately, the Dallas Cowboys have quite a few teams ahead of them who have higher priority on the waiver wire. But, that shouldn't keep them from putting their chips in the pot. Who knows, they could be holding the right cards in the end.
