Oakland Raiders!!! Free Agents To Find To Win In '09!

I appreciate the feedback and reads I got on my last article. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/125642-oakland-raiders-draft-trade-sign-how-do-we-win-in-2009.  Thanks!  It is obvious to almost everyone what we need to do and so really we’re all just tossing around in what order and “who” we need to do things.

Here I’m going to take a stab at listing our existing options for Free Agency in an effort to stimulate conversation and to gain insight on our current situation.

Again, please feel free to add your comments.

It is obvious that our coaching staff and/or Mr. Davis have decided to take it slow this year.  Thank goodness for that!  After last year’s super spending spree that went sideways and the over-all atrocious outcome achieved by our acquired “play makers” it is all the better for us to take our time to ensure we get the values we need.  The players we’re going to be able to pick up in the later stages of Free Agency could do the trick.

I am making the folowing suggestions contingent upon the successful re-signings of our Free Agents in contract negotiations as listed by the media (with the exception of Lelie).  I believe that we need to keep Alston, Baker, Brown, Carter, Ekejiuba, Grove, and Miller.  All of them will be “value” players for the money it will take to keep them when considering the plays they make and depth they provide.

These are the signings that I find as are still possible.

Some of our positions of need are deep with opportunity while others are much shallower.  I’m thinking at this stage (after Wilson’s release & Carlisle’s visit) that one of these safeties and one of these guards should be our top priorities at this point.  Then eventually we’ll get a receiver, a linebacker, and a d tackle for depth....

(in no particular order)

D Tackle

Tank Johnson, Jovan Haye, Kedric Golston, Dewayne Robertson

End

Paul Spicer, Igor Olshansky, Chris Canty

OTackle

Khalif Barnes, Tra Thomas, Mark Tauscher, Marvel Smith, Jon Runyan

Guard

Matt Lehr, Kendall Simmons, Pete Kendall

Receiver

Nate Washington, Brandon Lloyd, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Joey Galloway, D.J. Hackett, Mike Furrey, Laveranues Coles

Linebacker

Derrick Brooks, Willie McGinest, Mike Peterson, Zach Thomas, Ray Lewis, Freddy Keiaho, Marcus Washington, Cato June

Safety

Jermaine Phillips, Sean Jones

Just for fun, I’m also going to state here that I think it would be a great value to give our third rounder from a few years ago another shot.  He’s listed nowadays as a linebacker while we drafted him as a defensive end (which makes him multi-positional), he’s got a bit of experience, he was a casualty of Kiffin, he has always had great physical talent, he would’ve been a 1st rounder had he declared after his junior year, and he should be very inexpensive at this point…