2012 NFL Free Agents: 4 Players That Could Push Oakland Raiders over the Hump

Last season despite injuries to running back Darren McFadden and quarterback Jason Campbell, in addition to losing corner Nnamdi Asomugha via free agency, the Oakland Raiders were just one win from the postseason and the AFC West division title.

So, heading into 2012 there is good reason to be optimistic about the Silver and Black despite the lack of draft picks. That being said, free agency is their best bet to make strides this offseason.

Therefore, here are four players who could push Oakland over the hump.

Terrell Thomas, CB

Missing all of 2011 due to injury, Terrell Thomas was arguably the most productive cornerback for the New York Giants in 2010.

There, Thomas made 101 tackles, forced four fumbles, made five picks and defended a total of 21 passes.

He's one of the more complete corners in the league. However, since the Giants proved they could win it all without him, it's unlikely to see New York retain him.

So, enter the Oakland Raiders and their desperate need for a corner.

After losing Asomugha, Stanford Routt was released in February, so replacing both is needed. Not to mention the Raiders finished ranked No. 27 in pass defense by allowing 251.4 pass yards per game.

Bring in Thomas and he'll not only take away half the field but help with edge-run support. Another area of need considering the Raiders allowed 136.1 rush yards per game.

In the AFC West where there aren't overly dominant passing offenses, Thomas will dominate.

Mario Williams, DE/OLB

Another injury-stricken free agent from 2011, but Mario Williams is arguably the best defensive end/outside linebacker on the market.

And much like the Giants with Thomas, it would be surprising to see the Houston Texans re-sign him after their impressive season while Williams watched on the sidelines. The Texans defense finished ranked No. 2 in allowing just 285.7 total yards per game, so it's clear that they didn't miss Mario at all.

Sure, he now helps for depth purposes. However, we can't expect him to start for Houston in 2012 after the season that Connor Barwin, JJ Watt and Brooks Reed all had.

So, the Raiders should pursue Williams as he provides them with the luxury of using a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive front.

Williams' ability to pass rush, anchor the edge against the run and pursue the backside will pay dividends as part of an overly aggressive defense. Last season, Oakland was consistently solid at applying quarterback pressure, but not being able to stop the run proved that opponents would get them out of position more often than not.

Mario on the other hand, rarely gets out of position and has great instincts. In turn, the Oakland front seven becomes that much tougher against the run.

Robert Meachem, WR

With receivers Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore being reliable targets in 2011 despite not having the same quarterback all season, Oakland needs one more well-established player, and the pass offense becomes significantly enhanced.

New Orleans' Robert Meachem makes for a great No. 2 receiver as he caught 40 passes for 620 yards and scored six touchdowns.

Additionally, 29 of his 40 catches moved the chains so having a guy who can get yards after the catch on intermediate routes opens up the playbook a little more.

Now, count tight end Kevin Boss who's underrated and can beat linebackers in single coverage, and the Raiders' passing offense gets to another level.

Heyward-Bey sees more single coverage on the outside, and Moore develops as a solid slot man. Consequentially, all this will take pressure off the ground game that remains the most important aspect of this offense.

But, it can't continue to be effective on a yearly basis without a more threatening aerial assault.

Jason Jones, DT

Mainly for youth purposes at defensive tackle should the Raiders take a gander at Tennessee's Jason Jones.

Oakland's three veteran interior defensive linemen are no younger than 31 (John Henderson, Tommy Kelly, Richard Seymour) and Desmond Bryant is 26. Get him a young complement like Jones, and the Raiders have two guys working the trenches for quite some time. 

As for Jones, he can play a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle and be quite effective. However, he saw a drop in production in 2011 because he was moved to end in a 4-3 look for the Titans.

Before moving outside, Jones proved to be a great interior pass-rusher with 12.5 sacks in three seasons along with six forced fumbles and 13 run-stuffs (10 in 2010).

In 2011 though, he had just three more sacks and one forced fumble from the outside.

With the theme here being that Oakland needs to improve against the run, a guy like Jones will at the worst case, provide talented youth/depth on the defensive line to help stop imposing rush offenses like the Broncos and Chiefs.

John Rozum on Twitter.