By Joe Hawkes-Beamon

OAKLAND — With the NFL becoming more and more a passing league, the Raiders added veteran safety Taylor Mays, a league source confirmed via Raiders Insider CSNCalifornia.com’s Scott Bair.

Mays was drafted in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers out of Southern California. The hard-hitting safety spent just one season with the 49ers before being traded in August 2011 to Cincinnati for a 2013 seventh-round draft pick where he spent the past four seasons.

Mays, will reunite with new Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who coached Mays at Southern California.

The 27-year-old Mays signed with Minnesota during the offseason, but was released by the Vikings in March. Mays signed with Detroit, before the Lions released him on Aug. 20.

Mays has never lived up to the hype that he had coming out of Southern California. His rookie year was his best, as Mays registered 38 tackles and a force fumble in six starts.

In 16 games last season for the Bengals, Mays finished with just nine tackles (seven solo), and a sack.

Mays will join a crowded Raiders’ safety corps with Charles Woodson, Nate Allen, Larry Asante, Brandian Ross, and Jonathan Dowling.