Oakland Raiders: A few possible FA targets for the frugal-minded

Demario Davis (ILB)

When he was a free agent last season, some were calling on the Raiders to make a push for Davis. Obviously, that call was never heeded and fans had to wait until the sixth week of the season for the team to land a competent inside linebacker – NaVorro Bowman.

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And while most of us out there still believe the team should bring Bowman back, the business side of things necessitates looking at other options.

Demario Davis could be one of those options.

After a pretty successful four-year run with the Jets, who took him out of Arkansas State in the third-round of the 2012 Draft, Davis went on to sign a two-year free agent deal with Cleveland in 2016 – who then traded him back to the Jets in June of last year.

A free agent again, the six-foot-two, 248 pound Davis, is looking for his next opportunity.

2017 was a solid year for Davis, posting 135 tackles (97 solo), five sacks, three passes defensed, and a fumble recovery. The 29-year old has also been remarkably durable over his six year career, never missing a single game due to injury.

He played for the Jets for $2.23 million last year and is likely looking for a raise. Though, Sportrac puts his valuation at about $5 million dollars, so it’s not a salary that’s going to break the bank.

All things being equal, if Bowman and Davis were both looking at a $5 million annual payday – a salary that isn’t going to break the bank – you might have to go with Davis simply because of the injury history of the two men.

If Oakland chooses to keep Bowman, great. He was a standout performer last year. But, if they opt to move on from Bowman and look for somebody younger and less damaged, they might want to look Davis’ way.