Raiders Free Agency: Projecting Contract Offers for Oakland
Free agency wasn’t a strong point for general manager Reggie McKenzie last year. He signed a group of aging veterans who had minimal impact on the 2014 season.
Fortunately, the majority of their contracts have little to no guaranteed money owed in 2015. These contracts can be disposed of if needed to make room for high-end signings during free agency this year.
McKenzie has to swing for the fences during free agency to push the Oakland Raiders to the next level at a quicker pace. The Raiders will have ample salary-cap space at a time when some of the most talented players in the league test the market.
Here are the contract details the Raiders should offer players on the free-agent market based on production, positional salaries and prior contracts.
Charles Woodson
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At the age of 38, Charles Woodson brought leadership and production to the field. He led the team with four interceptions while playing safety in 2014. Furthermore, he could be an intricate part of the maturation process, influencing Oakland's young, inexperienced secondary as one of the best defensive backs of all time.
Last season, Woodson signed a one-year deal worth $2.5 million ($1.15 million guaranteed). The Raiders should re-sign him for about the same amount and hope he’s just as productive in 2015.
Contract: One year, $2 million, $1 million guaranteed.
Stefen Wisniewski
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One of the most overlooked exchanges in the NFL is the snap between the center and quarterback. If there isn’t a clear need to release a center, keep the status quo.
Yes, Stefen Wisniewski didn’t have his best season in 2014, but that shouldn’t erase two seasons of decent play. Despite the constant changes at quarterback, Wisniewski was a top-20 center in 2012 and 2013, per Pro Football Focus.
The next two years will be telling as to which direction the four-year center is trending in. He deserves at least two more years in a stable system to show if he’s worth a longer tenure or not.
His previous contract was worth $4.13 million over four years.
Contract: Two years, $2.75 million, $1 million guaranteed.
Tramon Williams
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Tramon Williams could be on the way out of Green Bay with the emergence of Sam Shields and Casey Hayward. Williams isn’t picking off as many passes lately, but he was still PFF's 28th-ranked cornerback in coverage this season.
He led the Packers' secondary in passes defensed with 14 and tied for the most interceptions (3).
The Raiders are in need of an anchor in the secondary. Williams would be a perfect fit ahead of D.J. Hayden and Travis Carrie, who are still progressing in the early stages of their careers.
His last deal was worth $33 million over four years.
Contract: Three years, $24 million, $8 million guaranteed.
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Brandon Spikes
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According to NFL.com writer Chris Wesseling, linebacker Nick Roach's future is cloudy at best. Miles Burris has done the best he could to fill in at an unfamiliar position.
Brandon Spikes is a solid fit to join Sio Moore and Khalil Mack in the linebacker corps. PFF ranked him as a top-10 run-stopper and a top-15 inside linebacker overall in 2014.
His previous contract was a one-year $3 million deal with the Buffalo Bills. If Spikes’ agent does his homework, the veteran linebacker could raise the bar on his price tag.
Currently, the Bills play in a 4-3 base defense featuring one inside linebacker. Kiko Alonso had a very impressive rookie season before missing the entire 2014 season with an ACL injury. Spikes could be the odd man out due to his increasing price tag.
Contract: 4 years, $14 million, $2.75 million guaranteed.
Demaryius Thomas
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Among the top wide receivers set to hit the free-agent market, Demaryius Thomas is most susceptible to being swayed away from his current team.
Peyton Manning’s future is undecided and will likely remain uncertain at the beginning of free agency. Secondly, Thomas’ numbers will likely drop even if Manning returns.
In the second half of the 2014 season, Denver alleviated a significant amount of the burden off the soon-to-be 39-year-old QB's arm by running the ball heavily with C.J. Anderson. Thomas would have to share opportunities with Emmanuel Sanders and possibly Julius Thomas if he’s re-signed.
Why are numbers so important to Thomas? Because this is probably as good as it’s going to get in Denver for the receiver in terms of showing why he deserves a boatload of money based on statistics.
Thomas has the opportunity to take the grab bag now after three consecutive 1,400-plus-yard seasons with 10-plus touchdowns.
Derek Carr will likely be around a lot longer than Manning and is more of a proven commodity than Manning’s backup, Brock Osweiler.
The front office should offer Thomas a contract that will make him one of the five highest-paid wide receivers in the league with incentives to sweeten the deal.
If he rejects the offer for a hometown discount, as he mentioned as a possibility to Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press (h/t CBS Denver), Oakland can find developing talent in the draft.
Contract: Five years, $61 million, $22 million guaranteed.
Ndamukong Suh
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Oakland’s ample cap space could bode well for landing Ndamukong Suh. According to an article by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press published in early December, Suh’s agent will make the choice on the next destination:
"Ndamukong Suh is screaming toward free agency while playing maybe the best football of his career, but the All-Pro defensive tackle insisted Wednesday that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, will have final say over who he signs with this off-season.
"It'll be Jimmy's decision, so we'll go with that," Suh said. "You can call Jimmy if you want to."
Asked whether he meant that Sexton will pick what team he plays for next year, Suh said, "Probably will. Yup."
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This could have been a façade to deflect the attention away from Suh’s future as he concentrated on the current season. Then again, it could also be 100 percent true. If so, it’s clear landing Suh will be about the dollars—not the intangibles.
If Demaryius Thomas’ price tag reaches ridiculous, $70-plus million heights, Oakland should opt to draft two wide receivers and put all its free-agent chips in Suh’s corner.
It’d save a lot of money and potentially solidify its defensive line for years to come with Suh wreaking havoc up front.
Regardless of Oakland’s choice of a defensive player in the first or second round, that player will benefit from lining up alongside the most dominant defensive lineman outside of J.J. Watt.
Suh will likely become the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, with his new contract eclipsing Gerald McCoy’s six-year, $95.2 million deal.
Expect Suh’s agent to push toward or slightly above Watt’s $100 million contract value. Oakland has the cash and Sexton will demand top dollar.
Suh's previous deal paid him $64.5 million over five years.
Contract: Six years, $103 million, $53 million guaranteed.
Advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.
Player contract details provided by Spotrac.
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