Raiders starting FS Michael Huff has been doing double duty in practice and at meetings this week, adding cornerback to his workload.
Starting left CB Ron Bartell is on short-term injured reserve with a broken shoulder blade. Starting right CB Shawntae Spencer is out for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh with a sprained right foot.
The Raiders are short-handed at that spot, and moving Huff from free safety to corner is an option the Raiders are considering.
“We’re still trying to figure out everything,” Huff said. “At practice, I’m still taking reps at safety and corner. They haven’t told me either way yet. Just being prepared, whatever happens, happens. If I’m out there (at corner) I’ll be ready, or if I’m at safety I’ll be ready. It’s not really much difference because during one-on-ones I do everything with the corners, anyway, and press releases. It’s not that big a difference, really.”
Last week at Miami, Pat Lee and Spencer started at cornerback. By the end of the game, Lee and Joselio Hanson were the corners.
Huff played cornerback his first two seasons in college at Texas. For the Raiders, he moves to slot corner in the nickel, with Matt Giordano taking his spot at free safety. But the only time Huff has played base corner in a game was in 2009 at Cleveland after Nnamdi Asomugha was injured and Stanford Routt was ejected for, according to Huff, head-butting a Browns' player.
“For me, outside is easier than inside because inside you’re working on slot, quick receivers,” Huff said. “Outside is pretty much just press and run, more the deep routes. So outside would be more comfortable for me, anyways.”
Well, maybe in most cases. But on Sunday, the Raiders are facing Steelers WRs Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown. This won’t be an easy assignment for anyone the Raiders use at cornerback.
“Oh no,” Huff said. “Against the fastest receiving corps in the NFL. I mean, this is the NFL. You never know what’s going to happen with injuries. You always got to be ready. If my number’s called, I’ll be ready.”
Two years ago in a 35-3 loss at Pittsburgh, Wallace caught three passes for 116 yards and a 52-yard touchdown against the Raiders.
How fast is Wallace?
“Fastest kid in the world,” Huff said. “You see him on film and you see corners playing off. He just runs by ‘em. You see corners pressing them. He just gives them a move and goes. He is probably track Olympic fast, to be honest. He can run. He’s not just a track guy. He makes plays on the ball. He kind of does it all.”
What makes Wallace and Brown even more dangerous is QB Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to fend off pass rushers and extend plays.
“You see him on film, you see D-ends, D-tackles trying to tackle him; he just throws them off,” Huff said. “I don’t know many quarterbacks that can do that. He’s definitely a unique guy. He’s never down until he’s all the way down. So you always got to be ready.”
That goes for safeties and cornerbacks.
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.