Raiders notebook: Cornerback excited about new team

The call from the Indianapolis Colts general manager came out of the blue on Wednesday. Within a minute or two after taking it, the professional journey of Rock Ya-Sin had taken a completely unexpected turn.

But as quickly as Chris Ballard explained to Yan-Sin that he was being traded by the Colts to the Raiders, the wave of emotion that hit the talented young cornerback immediately got the competitive juices flowing.

“My first emotion wasn’t really shock, it was more excitement,” Ya-Sin said on Thursday upon meeting with the Las Vegas media for the first time. “I know the kind of culture that’s here. I know the kind of players that are here. I’m just looking forward to playing with these guys and winning a lot of games.”

Ya-Sin could play a big role in that success as a trusted cornerback, either as a starter or a key sub-package defensive back. As he heads into his fourth season, he seems to be coming into his own. His pass-coverage grade from Pro Football Focus was the best of his career and ranked 28th among the 116 cornerbacks that qualified.

The upside that still remains is a big reason the Raiders sought him out in exchange for rush end Yannick Ngakoue.

Ya-Sin joins a young secondary that includes fourth-year corner Trayvon Mullen and second-year slot corner Nate Hobbs. That trio could be the starting group the Raiders roll out next season.

“They just want me to come in and compete, get better every day,” Ya-Sin said. “Bring intensity and competitiveness to the room.”

Patriots Way West

With so many coaches, executives and now players making the pilgrimage from New England to Las Vegas, the Patriots Way is becoming more and more of a real thing among the Raiders.

The twist being, taking elements of the way things are done in New England to forge a Raiders Way.

Which is what new Raiders running back Brandon Bolden hopes to help add in Las Vegas after joining head coach Josh McDaniels, his longtime offensive coordinator in New England, with the Raiders.

“The Patriots’ way, to sum it up, is just doing things the right way without people having to tell you to do it the right way,” he said.

And what is the foundation of that, exactly?

“It’s kind of like do it right when no one’s watching,” Bolden said. “The whole do your job, and everything else. You’re not worried about the next guy, you’re worried about your assignment. It’s like a puzzle piece.

“If I do my job and you do your job, we put our two pictures together and make a bigger picture. If you look at it from that standpoint, it’s not hard. It’s fairly easy.”

Bolden has played eight of his nine NFL seasons with the Patriots and knows firsthand what those principles are all about and how far they go in building a winning program.

“I’m sure when we get down to the offseason program and OTA’s, we’re going to have conversations about it as a team and figure out what works best for us,” Bolden said.

More line depth

The Raiders added versatile free-agent offensive lineman Alex Bars to the mix on Thursday. Bars played the last three years in Chicago and has taken snaps at all five offensive line spots.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore onTwitter.