How Can the Oakland Raiders Win 2015 NFL Free Agency?

The NFL postseason is officially over and all the attention shifts to building a better roster for the 2015 season. The Oakland Raiders have a lot of room for improvement, but they also have solid pieces in place to move the franchise forward.

For Oakland, free agency should be used to maintain continuity on offense and acquiring veteran pieces on defense—veterans who will bring on and off-field leadership. The youth on the Raiders roster will benefit from playing next to players still in their prime as opposed those on the decline.

Offensively, the maturation process of a potential franchise quarterback needs stability. Derek Carr will take direction from new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave. For the sake of consistency, the Raiders should re-sign center Stefen Wisniewski. Despite a disappointing 2014 season, Wisniewski performed well in 2012 and 2013, per Pro Football Focus.

According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Wisniewski wasn’t impressed with the initial offers from management:

Without knowledge of the initial contract offers, Wisniewski should be worth a three-year deal worth $7 million with $2 million guaranteed. His last deal was worth $4.13 million over four years.

The Raiders have plenty of depth at the wide receiver position. None of the receivers jump out as the go-to guy, but after watching Super XLIX, it’s clear that a good QB doesn’t need a pair of 1,000-yard receivers to be effective. However, Carr entering his second year needs high-end talent to aid his development until he can be considered a top-tier QB.

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Andre Holmes and Rod Streater are restricted free agents. Denarius Moore is an unrestricted free agent. The unrestricted tag favors Moore in terms of his asking price.

Moore will likely cost the Raiders more cap space as he embarks on his second contract. His previous deal was a four-year, $2.23 million deal. 

Streater and Holmes are still relatively unknown in this league. Offers from other teams won’t likely pile up, especially with a deep incoming wide receiver draft class, per CBS Sports. The Raiders won't be matching offers for either receiver, if any at all.

The price tags on Oakland’s restricted free agents are worthy of re-signing. Moore becomes the odd man out. The Raiders don’t need all three WRs with James Jones contracted up until 2017. Oakland could also select a high-quality wide receiver within the first two rounds of the draft.

If the Raiders draft a WR early, he’ll be expected to make an immediate impact as a starter opposite Jones. Any of the aforementioned free-agent WRs will battle for the slot position. In 2014, Holmes used his 6’5”, 208-pound frame to display big-play capabilities. He averaged 14.7 yards per reception. In 2013, Streater led the Raiders in receiving yards. 

Defensively, the Raiders have more holes to fill. The rush defense was continuously gashed, and opposing QBs were able to pick apart the secondary with ample time in the pocket.

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Brandon Spikes is the most suitable free agent to play between Sio Moore and Khalil Mack at inside linebacker. In 2014, Spikes ranked ninth among ILBs when defending the run. He previously signed a one-year, $3 million deal. Oakland should offer him a long-term contract as the centerpiece for the defense—a four-year contract worth $14 million with $3 million guaranteed.

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Tramon Williams will be a less expensive free-agent alternative to Byron Maxwell. Maxwell, the highly touted cornerback in Seattle will seek a lucrative deal in the offseason. Buyer beware, he played within a strong secondary alongside Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas. Teams should be skeptical how he might fare against No. 1 WRs week to week with a less talented supporting cast.

Williams has been the best CB in Green Bay for the past three seasons, lining up against the best WR on the opposing team. At 31, he’s not seeking an excessively inflated deal, but he is still a decent coverage cornerback in this league. The eight-year veteran is a durable, battle-tested and productive defensive back, similar to his former teammate Charles Woodson.

Coming off of a four-year deal worth $33 million, he could get a three-year deal worth $24 million, keeping his yearly average salary around $8 million.

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The biggest splash for the Raiders’ front office during free agency should be courting Ndamukong Suh. The team that lands Suh theoretically “wins” free agency. He’s the most instrumental free agent on the market in terms of the immediate impact on a defensive line.

Unfortunately, it seems the Detroit Lions are willing to do their best to re-sign the four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. According to ESPN Senior NFL Analyst, Chris Mortensen, the Lions are willing to make bold sacrifices to keep Suh in Detroit:

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Salary-cap wise, though, it presents a challenge. One team source told ESPN that signing Suh would theoretically be the priority even if it meant losing star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. But the Lions believe they can manage to have both on the roster.

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Currently, the Lions are considered the front-runners to land arguably the best defensive tackle in the league. The hopes that Suh would revitalize the nasty that once propelled the Raiders to league superiority could be dashed by unselfishness and a shrewd “capologist."

So, what’s plan B?

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A prominent pass-rusher should be the second-highest priority on Oakland’s list of free agents. Raiders fans should be sick and tired of watching Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers pick the defense apart from the pocket.

In five NFL seasons, Jason Pierre-Paul has 42 sacks and is relatively durable, having only been hampered by an injury in 2013. At 25, it’s plausible that he can further his dominance as one of the best defensive ends in the league.

New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio utilized the 4-3 with the Jacksonville Jaguars and as the defensive coordinator with the Denver Broncos. Familiarity with defensive scheme helps Pierre-Paul’s fit. He has played in the 4-3 his entire career.

Finally, he’ll be reunited with Justin Tuck who could provide leadership as the 25-year-old edge-rusher continues to develop.

Pierre-Paul’s previous contract was worth $16.08 million over five years. Expect a significant price tag increase. Fortunately, the Raiders have the cap space to be charitable with an offer.

A deal worth $55 million over five years with $23 million guaranteed is a reasonable proposal, considering Pierre-Paul will likely push for a contract worth close to or among the top five highest-paid defensive ends in the league.

All salary information was taken from Spotrac, unless otherwise noted.