Former New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple is back on the market after his deal with the Las Vegas Raiders reportedly falls through.
In 2016, the New York Giants made Eli Apple a first-round draft pick, selecting him No. 10 overall out of Ohio State. He was supposed to bolster a struggling secondary but underwent a number of problems both on and off the field. It all led to the Giants trading him five games into the 2018 campaign, shipping him off to New Orleans for a 2019 fourth-round pick and 2020 seventh-round pick.
This past March, Apple essentially decided his future when he agreed to a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. But just a few weeks after coming to terms with the newly located franchise, it looks like he’ll be searching for a new home once again.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Apple and the Raiders were unable to finalize the deal.
Raiders and former Saints’ CB Eli Apple were unable to finalize a contract, per sources, and Apple remains a free agent. Another one added to the list.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2020
It’s unclear at this time why the contract fell through.
After the Giants selected Apple, he portrayed much inconsistency, only playing well in short spurts. In 30 games with New York (23 starts), Apple recorded 100 combined tackles with one pick and 20 passes defended. He was a part of that 2016 defense that finished 10th in the league with 339.7 total yards allowed per game en route to the team’s first playoff berth since 2011.
His off-field issues included tweeting on the sidelines and reportedly arguing with the coaching staff in 2017. Former Giants safety Landon Collins even went as far as to publicly call Apple a “cancer.” The Giants suspended Apple for the final game of that three-win 2017 season.
Apple started each of the 15 games he played in for the Saints last year.
