Oakland Raiders: 5 Free Agents Worth Taking a Look At
By Kevin Saito
Dec 20, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins nose tackle
Barry Cofield(96) knocks the ball away from Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
Mark Sanchez(3) in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
At 30 years old and carrying a $4 million dollar cap hit, Washington opted to part ways with Cofield. At 6’3” and weighing in at 305 pounds, Cofield is a big man who occupies a lot of space. He can also push the pocket, stuff the run, and even at that “advanced age” of 30 years old, can still command a double team now and again.
That would be good news for the Raiders, as it would allow Khalil Mack, Sio Moore, Justin Tuck – and whichever edge rusher they select in the draft – to pin their ears back and get after the quarterback. With Justin Ellis and Cofield plugging up the middle of the defensive front, running backs wouldn’t have a whole lot of room to run, and they could push that pocket up into the quarterback’s face.
Given that Cofield was only scheduled to make $4 million this season with Washington, Oakland could probably get him at a lower cost than that. It doesn’t seem likely that there will be a huge bidding war for him. He would be a fantastic rotational piece and would help create a mammoth defensive front.
Next: 4. Brian Hartline