Oakland Raiders: Best free agent moves of the Reggie McKenzie era

Lamarr Houston (2014) and Jared Veldheer (2014)

Wait, what? You might be asking yourself why Houston and Veldheer are on this list of McKenzie’s best free agent moves.

And it’s because sometimes, the best move is to not make a move at all.

In regard to Houston, when his contract came up following the 2013 season, fans were clamoring for McKenzie to sign him quick. And, it was a somewhat understandable sentiment at the time. After all, Houston was coming off a four-year run that included him appearing in all 64 games he played – making 60 starts over that span.

He recorded 227 tackles (171 solo), forced four fumbles, recovered six others, had an interception, five passes defensed, and racked up 16.5 sacks.

Houston was intent on parlaying that four-year run into a big payday. McKenzie balked, and Houston eventually signed with Chicago for five years and $35 million dollars – with $15 million in guaranteed money.

It’s safe to say that Chicago never got their money’s worth out of Houston. In his first season, with the Bears being blown out by 25 points, Houston tore an ACL celebrating a sack of Patriots then-backup Jimmy Garoppolo and was lost for the back half of the season.

In all – after being waved by Chicago, claimed by the Texans, waived by the Texans, and reclaimed by Chicago – Houston appeared in five games for the Texans and 31 games for the Bears – making just 11 starts.

In his four year post-Raiders career, Houston has 74 tackles (60 solo), 14 sacks, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and two passes defensed.

Suffice it to say, he wasn’t worth the money Chicago threw at him and not re-signing him to a long-term deal was the smart move for McKenzie – and should be regarded as one of his better moves.

Ditto that with Veldheer.

A fan favorite, but following his first four years in Oakland, he was seeking a new, better paying deal. He and McKenzie engaged in a bit of a staring contest before Veldheer finally took his talents to the desert, signing a five-year, $35 million dollar deal with the Cardinals.

Over the last four years in Arizona, Veldheer hasn’t established himself as anything but a decent lineman. He hasn’t made a Pro Bowl and has been – serviceable.

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Though he started all 32 games in his first two seasons in the desert, he missed half of the 2016 season with a torn right triceps injury, and the final three games last season with an ankle injury.

Oakland’s offensive line is now full of perennial Pro Bowlers like Penn, Osemele, and Hudson, in part, because of the money McKenzie was able to save by not re-signing Houston and Veldheer to long-term, high dollar deals.

So, see? Sometimes, the best move to make is not making a move at all.