Oakland Raiders: 5 Free Agents on The Market Who Are Worth a Look

Sep 30, 2014; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie during a press conference to introduce Tony Sparano (not pictured) as Raiders interim coach at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Once the bell sounded and the free agency windows flew open, NFL fans were treated to a spectacle unlike anything they’ve seen before. There was a chaotic whirlwind of activity as teams completed trades, and players jumped from one team to another. And in the middle of the frenzy was Oakland Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and HC Jack Del Rio.

We presume that Reggie’s brother Raleigh was off somewhere catching a few z’s.

Undoubtedly, there is a lot of disagreement from the Raider faithful about the free agents McKenzie was able to scoop up into his nets. Yes, he missed out on big fish like Ndamukong Suh, Randall Cobb, Julius Thomas, and Jeremy Maclin, but the haul he brought on board isn’t exactly made of of guppies and bait fish, either.

For his part, McKenzie is pretty pleased with his free agent class so far. We are assuming that he even included Christian Ponder in that sentiment. Said McKenzie:

We wanted to get some guys that are in their prime and will give us a few years. We felt like the leadership that we have now, we can just add to the roster to get better. Every year you go after a lot of guys, and you don’t get them all. Our intent was to go out hard and heavy after each one of these guys, and we were able to land a whole bunch of guys we really liked.

With Dan Williams, Curtis Lofton, Malcolm Smith, and Nate Allen set to help revamp the Raiders’ defense – adding some stout run support, most importantly – Oakland is suddenly a lot more formidable on defense than they were a year ago. By adding TE Lee Smith, and C Rodney Hudson, Oakland has added some real protection for second year QB phenom Derek Carr.

They’ve got a terrific blend of veterans and young playmakers on both sides of the ball. But they still need more help. Obviously, with the draft coming up, McKenzie and the Raiders will be adding some very good, young talent to their roster. They are going to have to decide between explosive youngsters like Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler, Jr.

There is so much talent in this year’s draft – as well as depth at some key spots for Oakland – they literally cannot screw up the fourth overall pick in the draft that they are holding. Unless, of course, they draft a kicker – and let’s hope they don’t do that.

Until the draft rolls around though, there is still work to be done. Though McKenzie has made some solid additions to the roster – level of satisfaction among the Raider faithful varies – there are still some gaping holes he has yet to fill.

After seeing the error of their ways and officially wishing QB Matt Schaub out to the cornfields on Monday, some estimates put the Raiders’ remaining warchest at around $30 million dollars or so. Of course, the rookie draft class will cut into that a bit, but Oakland should still have around $20 million or so left to spend. And because of league rules and the CBA, they must spend it.

But having that much money and a mandate to use it leaves them with some options. It allows McKenzie a certain sense of freedom in that he may be able to take a leap of faith on a player, and if it doesn’t pan out then no harm, no foul.

Though the first big wave of free agency is over, there are still quite a few serviceable players out there on the market. And there will undoubtedly be more as teams make some deeper cuts to their roster in the coming days and weeks.

The Raiders have some big holes to fill yet, and here are current free agents who – depending on their performance, obviously – could pan out to be terrific steals. The operative word there being “could.”

With Oakland having as many needs as they do, all options should be on the table at this point. And these five veterans are at least worth having a conversation with to see if they can contribute to a team looking to become relevant again…

Next: Da'Quan Bowers