Reassessing the Raiders' Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address

If you’ve been paying the slightest bit of attention to general manager Reggie McKenzie’s offseason moves, his intentions have been clear: Win in the trenches, build a solid defense and do it at a bargain rate.

McKenzie doesn’t receive enough credit for working the cap room in his favor, and I’m not referring to the $50-plus million the Oakland Raiders had stashed in the offseason.

The Raiders GM was harshly criticized for bringing in over-the-hill talent last year. To his credit, those players served a great purpose in the locker room for the impact rookies and second-year players on the roster. Secondly, those who weren’t productive on the field have retired, been released and signed elsewhere during free agency without much dead money owed.

Player	Age	Current Team
Maurice Jones-Drew	30	Retired
Antonio Smith	33	Signed w/DEN
LaMarr Woodley	30	Signed w/ARZ
Matt Schaub	33	Signed w/BAL

Of that crop of has-beens, Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson still remain as leaders in the locker room and possible starters with limited productivity left in the tank.

When you fast forward to the Raiders’ 2015 offseason, you see the progressive thinking from the front office. This year younger talent, most of whom were reserves on their former teams, comes to Oakland with something to prove—that in addition to starting players who are looking for renewed opportunities.

The Raiders have exchanged their aging veterans for some youthful depth across the board. These players may not take the field as starters in Week 1 but will play significant roles as reserves to keep the team on an incline.

Player	Position
Roy Helu	Running back
Malcolm Smith	Inside Linebacker
James Dockery	Cornerback
Lee Smith	Tight End

McKenzie also made it a priority to improve line protection to better execute rushing-attack schemes and provide better protection for Derek Carr. Thus, Rodney Hudson was signed, Austin Howard transitioned back to tackle and it's very likely Oakland will select a guard within the first three picks.

Many were under the impression the Raiders were destined to be big spenders in free agency. McKenzie played it more like an elderly grandma slowly pushing her shopping cart down aisle five looking for bargains with a purse full of coupons. It was a sound strategy.

Player	Contract
Nate Allen	4-year/$23 million/$11.8 million guaranteed
Dan Williams	4-years/$25 million/$15.2 million guaranteed
Trent Richardson	2-years/$3.8 million/$600K guaranteed
Curtis Lofton	3-years/$18 million/$6.5 million guaranteed

There were plenty of names Raider Nation salivated over with the amount of cash McKenzie held in the vault, but he refused to “make it rain” during free agency.

Rumors from analysts connected Oakland to a bunch of high-profile free agents, but the most notable signing was Trent Richardson, who’s been considered an underachiever for the past two seasons. 

None of the players fans hyperventilated over were signed. That list would include: Ndamukong Suh, Byron Maxwell, Julius Thomas, Orlando Franklin, Terrance Knighton, Darrelle Revis and even Randall Cobb, whom McKenzie openly pursued.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It wasn’t until Dan Williams, Curtis Lofton and Nate Allen actually signed their contracts that fans began to see the intelligence in McKenzie’s moves. He managed to fulfill needs without breaking the bank on star power, leaving room for his draftees to make an early impact.

Nonetheless, McKenzie’s hasn't covered all the holes in the roster. Fortunately, the draft is where franchises bring in and eventually breed their cornerstones.

So what’s left for Raiders?

Clearly, it’s a pass-rusher and a weapon for Carr at the top of the shopping list. A starting guard comes after needs 1A and 1B followed by a tight end if the Raiders lose their reported interest, per Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, in Jermaine Gresham.

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There’s only one player in this draft class capable of steering the Raiders away from their needs, and his name is Leonard Williams.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Williams could be Ndamukong Suh 2.0. He’s a 300-pound defensive lineman who can stuff the run and harass the quarterback. Oakland shouldn’t entertain passing up on this unique talent even if offers for the No. 4 pick come in droves.

Williams would provide a spark for the Raiders’ listless pass rush and certainly demand a double-team, which helps Khalil Mack off the edge. 

Yes, Mack off the edge.

According to ESPN reporter Bill Williamson, Mack may take more snaps off the edge:

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He plays defensive end for us already in sub packages,” Del Rio told reporters Tuesday at a breakfast at the NFL owners meetings. “So, I think it would be natural for him to be able to play whatever we decide is best for him, how it helps the team best. The number of sub snaps in the league has gone up dramatically each year. Up to 70 percent of your snaps you’re facing three- and four-receiver sets and so a sub packages where Khalil is an end is the one that really is the most prominent. He’s definitely shown he’s got ability to be an edge rusher, a defensive end, he is that in that capacity. I feel like it’s how we best want to utilize him and who we have around him as well.

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The combination of Williams as a destructive force up front with Mack bearing down off the edge is all but a pipe dream at this point. However, there’s an increasing belief the Jacksonville Jaguars are very interested in pass-rusher Dante Fowler.

Williams to Oakland is a very possible scenario, a situation the Raiders shouldn’t escape by trading down.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Alternatively, if Williams is unavailable, Oakland could draft Amari Cooper and approach the draft straightforwardly, taking care of its needs one by one within the first three picks.

Preston Smith is projected as a late first- to early second-round pick. He’s a quality selection as a polished three-year starter at DE for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Raiders don’t have to rush their selection on a guard in this draft. Prospects the likes of Ali Marpet, John Miller and Josue Matias are all likely to be available in the third round—all whom are solid at the position.

Oakland’s biggest quandary in this year’s draft is ranking the second-best player behind Williams. Is it Cooper, Fowler or Kevin White?

When in doubt, choose the prospect most polished and proven.

Second- and third-round underachievers are forgivable, but first-round busts are unforgettable. Raiders fans still cringe at the names Robert Gallery, Jamarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey as the franchise has been trying to climb out of the grave these misses have dug over the years.