Oakland Raiders: 6 Questions the Team Must Answer Quickly

Nov 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Broncos tight end

(80) makes a catch in front of Oakland Raiders free safety

(24) in the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Question #3: Is Julius Thomas Really Worth Up to $10 Million a Season?

How much is a big, physical tight end who seemingly does nothing but catch touchdown passes in the red zone worth? We are going to see very shortly given the fact that the Denver Broncos are letting tight end Julius Thomas and his 24 touchdowns over the past two seasons walk away.

There has been a lot of speculation that the Raiders would be making a run at Thomas just as soon as they’re able to do so. But they certainly won’t be alone in the competition for his services. With a lot of teams out there who would love to have a specimen like Thomas down in the red zone, there could very well be – and will very likely be – a full out bidding war.

Thomas has said repeatedly that he grew up a Raiders fan and has been dropping hints that he’d love to play in Oakland. So has his father for that matter. But the stories out of Denver say that Thomas turned down a deal that would pay him around $8 million annually. If that’s the floor of his contract negotiations, what will the ceiling be?

Even though he catches a lot of scores in the red zone, would he really be worth the type of money – or even more – that Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski makes?

Next: Question #4 - Randall Cobb