Moves the Oakland Raiders Will Regret Not Making This Offseason
The offseason continues as NFL teams begin workouts and tie up some loose ends before the draft. The Oakland Raiders covered a lot of bases but also had some missteps along the way.
The good news? Needs were fulfilled with quality players.
The bad news? There were better fits available. There’s also one roster move general manager Reggie McKenzie has to make, preferably before the season is underway.
This may sound like nitpicking, but in the NFL you have to explore all avenues to achieve the only goal that matters, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Here are some avenues Oakland decided to stray away from or shut down that may not make or break the team, but are open to discussion as questionable decisions.
Not Pursuing Tramon Williams
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This was the biggest shock considering D.J. Hayden hasn’t been the most reliable or healthy cornerback in two years.
McKenzie opted to sign James Dockery. Dockery will likely play heavily on special teams, but the CBs will be led by Hayden and a former seventh-round draft pick in Travis Carrie—both lacking extensive track records as starters.
Tramon Williams would have been the perfect addition and security blanket in case Hayden gets hurt or Carrie has a setback. The Raiders have the depth at CB, but no one to take on No. 1 receiver with consistent success.
Williams has led the Green Bay Packers CBs and was a solid starter for seven out of eight seasons, caught at least three interceptions and defensed at least 14 passes in each season within that span.
But the Raiders didn’t pursue him. He signed a 3-year deal worth $21 million with the Cleveland Browns.
If Oakland’s secondary crumbles early, the decision not to pursue a veteran CB like Williams should be considered a huge gaffe during the offseason.
Not Pursuing Charles Clay
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Oakland continues to flirt with the idea of bringing in Jermaine Gresham as a balanced tight end.
The possibility is still on the table pending how well Gresham recovers from back surgery to repair a herniated disc. However, it was clear the Raiders were looking to upgrade the TE position early, but Charles Clay’s name wasn’t in play with Oakland.
According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, he signed a 5-year, $38 million offer sheet from the Buffalo Bills that became an official deal after the Miami Dolphins failed to match the offer.
Clay started his NFL career as a fullback and transitioned to a productive TE capable of picking up blocking schemes within the last two seasons with the Dolphins. He continues to work on his pass-blocking technique, but shows solid run-blocking skills. He also managed to rack up 1,364 receiving yards and nine touchdowns within the last two seasons.
Gresham may not bounce back right away after back surgery, but Oakland can look to the draft to address the position.
Not Pursuing Brandon Spikes
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The third significant free-agent whiff was at the inside linebacker position. Sure, Curtis Lofton is an upgrade from watching Miles Burris struggle outside of his natural position, but for most of the season Brandon Spikes was the quarterback of a top-10 defense in the league.
Lofton has struggled tremendously in his tenure with the New Orleans Saints, including the 2013 season when the team was fourth in points allowed (19 points allowed per game).
The seven-year ILB hit the FA market for a reason—he never established himself as an asset to elevate the Saints’ defense. Oakland can only hope he’s able to turn things around with a younger group of talented players.
In 2014, Spikes ranked as the 13th overall ILB in the league; Lofton was the 57th. The talent around both players should be considered, but a player is only as good as his last season. Just ask Stefen Wisniewski.
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Releasing Antonio Smith
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On a scale of miscues, this registers as minor, but Antonio Smith’s locker room presence carries more value than you’d notice week to week.
In fact, the Denver Broncos hastily signed Smith to a 1-year $2 million deal not long after he was released. He wasn’t brought in to rack up a bunch of sacks, but every team needs locker room guys in case team morale takes a dip.
Oakland needs him more so because of the current state of the roster. The Raiders are expected to bring in young talent for a rebuilding defensive line. Smith wasn’t guaranteed any cash this year and should have been retained to groom incoming talent.
Instead Oakland retained younger players at the position: Benson Mayowa, Denico Autry and Shelby Harris. C.J. Wilson was also re-signed to a 2-year, $4.35 million deal.
This year’s draft is deep with potential at the DE position. Oakland may draft two within the first five rounds, which buries the aforementioned young talent already on the roster. Smith would have served a better purpose to the incoming players in comparison to the benchwarmers who lack in-game experience.
Extending Donald Penn's Contract
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The very least of Oakland’s offseason sins can still be corrected.
Derek Carr wore a clean jersey for much of last season because of a solid blindside protector. He was sacked 24 times in 2014; in four games he wasn’t sacked at all.
Donald Penn was ranked as the seventh-best offensive tackle in the league in 2014, only giving up four sacks and three hits on the QB. If Penn continues to perform at a high level, his value will continue to rise.
Oakland could still take the pre-emptive strike and extend his contract another two years to keep Carr’s blindside protected by a top-tier player at the position for the near future. Penn enters the final year of his contract in 2015.
Did Reggie McKenzie miss on any other free agents? What other roster gaffes could come back and haunt the Raiders’ 2015 season? Send your tweets to Maurice’s twitter and let him know what McKenzie could have done differently thus far.
Advanced statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and ProFootballFocus.
Player contracts provided by spotrac.com.
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