Raiders Rumors: Ex-Saints CB Eli Apple Agrees to Contract

Eli Apple is headed to his third team since the New York Giants drafted him 10th overall in the 2016 NFL draft.

According to the Oakland Tribune's Jerry McDonald, the 24-year-old cornerback has agreed to terms with the Las Vegas Raiders. ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported the deal.

The Raiders have been aggressive in addressing defense through free agency:

All deals can become official at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Apple played with the New Orleans Saints after the Giants traded him in October 2018.

The Ohio State product's tenure in New York was rough. On the field, Apple played 30 games (23 starts) and recorded one interception as well as two forced fumbles, 20 passes defended and 100 tackles (82 solo).

Off the field, then-teammate Landon Collins referred to Apple as a "cancer" after he had been benched several times throughout the 2017 campaign.

"There's only just one corner that ... needs to grow, and we all know who that is," Collins said, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "That would be the only person I would change out of our secondary group. Besides, the other two guys, [Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie] and [Janoris Jenkins], I love those two guys. They play hard. They love what they do. But that first pick ... he's a cancer."

Apple started all 25 of the games he played for the Saints, including 15 starts last season. He had two picks in 10 starts during the 2018 season before recording 58 tackles (53 solo) in '19.

The Raiders' pass defense ranked 25th in 2019, allowing 256.7 yards per game, and 29th in the league with just nine interceptions.