Oakland Raiders Quiet As Big Free Agents Start Coming Off The Board

The Oakland Raiders have made a big splash over the last couple of offseasons, but so far this year, the team has been all but silent as the start of free agency nears.

With the annual free agent derby set to get underway, teams are lining up and jockeying for position as they throw piles of money at players. Strangely enough though, the Oakland Raiders and GM Reggie McKenzie have been decidedly silent to this point.

Given the budgetary constraints thanks to the mega-contracts for Derek Carr and Khalil Mack that are McKenzie’s stated priority this offseason, it’s not terribly surprising that the team has been quiet. The near $44 million under the cap they currently have is mostly already spoken for.

But McKenzie has developed into a top-notch executive and manipulator of the salary cap, so even though they aren’t expected to be major players this year, fans have been expecting – something.

To this point though, McKenzie and the Raiders have been about as easy to find in the free agent process as Waldo. And because of the Casper-act, you can hear the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments from the Raider Nation as the big names – players fans had hoped to see in Silver and Black in 2017 – have started coming off the board.

Defensive lineman Calais Campbell – a favorite among many fans as well as linebacker Bruce Irvin – has reportedly reached and agreement to join Jacksonville next season. And safety Tony Jefferson – Campbell’s teammate in Arizona and somebody who got fans excited by flirting heavily with the Raiders – has agreed to a deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Insider Jason LaCanfora is reporting that Campbell’s deal with the Jaguars will average about $14 million per season – clearly, out of Oakland’s price range.

And you can bet that Jefferson is going to be in that neighborhood – if not exceed it – when he inks his deal with Baltimore.

Though Jefferson and Campbell are unofficially off the board – remember, no deals are final until they are! – there are still plenty of players who can make a positive impact to be had out there. They just may not be the players many had hoped to see in a Raiders uniform.

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Though McKenzie could still work some magic and wind up with the likes of a Dont’a Hightower, Zach Brown, or Dontari Poe, the Raiders – given their financial constraints – will likely be picking through that second tier of players to fill out their key positions.

Re-signing Stacy McGee is still a possibility, but he seems determined to see what sort of market develops for his services. Nick Fairley is a name that’s been floated about. Though, the more likely route to Oakland fortifying the interior of their defensive line will be through the draft.

If there is one position this team needs to spend some to get some, it’s at their inside linebacker spot. Impact linebackers who can help this team overcome its problems covering tight ends and providing solid run support are an absolute necessity for Oakland – another year of getting eaten up by the likes of Travis Kelce, Crockett Gillmore, or anybody who lines up at tight end for the other team just isn’t going to cut it.

And in that arena, there are some clear cut choices that McKenzie should be making a run at – Brown, Hightower, Keenan Robinson, or Kevin Minter – with Hightower being the only one who is likely to command an outrageous contract.

Any one of those four though, would represent a significant upgrade to this defense – one that could help it get over that hump.

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Because we’ve heard whispers and rumblings about deals before players officially signed with Oakland the past couple of seasons, the absolute silence this year has been a bit – deafening. Though most of us didn’t expect McKenzie to be outrageously busy on the free agent market this year, many of us expected – something.

But, tomorrow is another day – the day the madness really begins. So, we’ll have to wait and see if McKenzie has a few tricks up his sleeve or not.