Best and Worst Moves Oakland Raiders Can Make This Offseason

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie can navigate the offseason like a personnel genius or struggle with the financial pitfalls that ascending teams face in route to prosperity. As a franchise unaccustomed to success over the past decade and half, how can the front office avoid a setback?

For winning teams, swapping expensive quality players for less costly productive talent becomes a huge headache for general managers. Should you raise the pay grade for a running back, who can be replaced by a less talented rookie with a higher upside? Is it time to recoup millions on a veteran who's on the decline?

Aside from in-house financial decisions, free agency adds more complications. There's a fine line between overspending out of necessity and desperation. A new contract can affect current player roles and their abilities to produce.

Last year, the Raiders signed offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele and moved Gabe Jackson to right guard. The shift worked out smoothly, but lineup changes can also trend in the opposite direction. Take a look at linebacker Ben Heeney and his short-lived time as a starting linebacker.

Coming off a 12-4 season, McKenzie will attempt to uphold a winning culture and push this team further in the upcoming season with some new faces. But which moves should he consider or avoid over the next two months?

Good Move: Extending Gabe Jackson

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Without question, we already know quarterback Derek Carr and pass-rusher Khalil Mack will receive contract extensions in the near future. No one has to tell McKenzie what those two guys mean for the team and the franchise. What about Jackson, though?

As previously noted, Jackson moved to right guard and still performed at a high level, despite playing his pro and collegiate careers at left guard. McKenzie can't overlook his ability to adapt while protecting the franchise's crown jewel.

Quarterback Matt Ryan earned ample praise for the Atlanta Falcons' rise to Super Bowl contention. Well, how does he stay upright to deliver throws to his superstar wide receiver Julio Jones? How do running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman run through gaps in the trenches? The offense operated with a solid offensive line in place. 

The Raiders have an offense that can put up points in bunches in multiple ways as well. It's important to keep Carr's pass protection intact and a group of maulers up front to clear space for the ball-carriers.

McKenzie should consider extending Jackson's contract during the offseason. If the offensive guard puts forth another solid year, his asking price will increase before hitting the free-agent market in 2018.

Bad Move: Re-Signing D.J. Hayden

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ESPN NFL Nation reporter Paul Gutierrez doesn't see D.J. Hayden returning to Oakland, and it's hard to disagree with him. For starters, the fourth-year cornerback missed significant time in three out of four seasons in the league due to injury.

In 2016, Hayden displayed better skills in the slot, but he failed to record an interception for the first time in his career. The Raiders defense thrived on turnovers during the previous season. The unit finished second in takeaways, and Hayden contributed zero to that number. 

Until the Raiders defense shows significant improvement, the front office must keep ball hawks who can strip the football or intercept passes to slow down the opposition. Hayden doesn't fit the mold. In 45 games, the fourth-year defensive back has logged just three interceptions.

The early rounds of this year's draft will feature several cornerbacks who have a knack for forcing turnovers. It's time to move on from the heavily criticized 2013 first-round pick.

Good Move: Releasing Dan Williams

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During the 2015 offseason, the decision to sign defensive tackle Dan Williams to a four-year, $25 million deal addressed a leaky run defense. Unfortunately, two offseasons later, the Raiders defense has the same problem.

After a decent first year in Oakland, Williams fell behind defensive tackle Justin Ellis on the depth chart last summer. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Darius Latham showed promise, which makes underperforming veterans expendable in the grand scheme.

Furthermore, the Raiders need a pass-rushing interior lineman. Williams never flashed as a 300-pounder who can push through offensive linemen and take down the quarterback. In seven seasons, he's notched 3.5 sacks.

Oakland knew the 29-year-old's strengths and weaknesses when he arrived, but he's no longer displaying his strong points on the field. It's time to cut the cord on Williams' contract and recoup $4.5 million, per Over The Cap. The coaching staff could allocate his snaps toward further developing rookies Jihad Ward and Latham.

Bad Move: Releasing Sean Smith

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Here's where the Raiders need to show patience. It's hard to believe Sean Smith left the Kansas City Chiefs as a quality cornerback and arrived in Oakland as a shell of himself.

Typically, sharp declines strike older players at the end of their careers, but Smith will turn 30 in July and is going into his ninth season. He's not Darrelle Revis, who saw a slight decline before his play fell off a cliff with the New York Jets this past season. 

In 2016, few players on the Raiders defense turned in a good season, which indicates an issue with the coaching staff or the scheme in place. Defensive assistants Ken Norton Jr. and John Pagano must find a way to use Smith's press coverage abilities to elevate the team's secondary. 

Oakland can recover $5.2 million by voiding Smith's contract, but they will owe $4.2 million in dead money, per Over The Cap. It's not a clean release like Williams' contract. The front office should give the veteran cornerback another year to acclimate himself within the defense as a perimeter defender.

Good Move: Aggressively Pursuing Dont'a Hightower

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Don't expect McKenzie to splurge on multiple free agents. He's expressed interest in taking care of his own players first in an interview with JT the Brick on 95.7 The Game (h/t CSN).

However, the front office has been too conservative with spending on a long-term solution at inside linebacker. In 2015, the team signed Curtis Lofton coming off a down year with the New Orleans Saints.

In the following year, the Raiders handed the starting role to Ben Heeney, who's still a developing talent. The second-year linebacker lost his green-dot responsibilities before the season started this year.

Sixth-round pick Cory James started the previous offseason as Heeney’s competition at inside linebacker. Eventually, the front office signed Perry Riley, who performed well in mop-up duty through 11 starts. He'll become a free agent in March and is a viable option to hold the spot again in 2017.

The New England Patriots have yet to lock inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower into a long-term deal. According to Spotrac, he's worth approximately $10 million per year on the market. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 12 linebacker in the league during the 2016 season. He's solid in coverage and logged 17.5 sacks over his five-year career.

If there's anyone who deserves a big contract offer from the Raiders, it's Hightower coming off a Pro Bowl year with a resume that shows consistency.

Bad Move: Paying Latavius Murray More Than $4 Million Per Year

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The gap between Latavius Murray's market value and what the Raiders can pay the 27-year-old running back should end his tenure with the team.

However, McKenzie could sit at the negotiating table and provide a hard-line offer that doesn't exceed $4 million per year and walk away with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

Murray went to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after the 2015 season. He logged 12 rushing touchdowns as the workhorse among a trio at running back in the previous season. At least one team will likely attempt to lure him away from Oakland with at least $5 million per year. If so, the Raiders should let him walk away with an extra million in his pocket.

On the other hand, Murray expressed interest in continuing his career with the Silver and Black, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. In order to return, he must take a home discount. His pass-protection skills and ability to pound the football between the tackles hold value, but Oakland can't afford to engage in a bidding war for just a third of its backfield.

The Raiders still have running backs DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard under contract. McKenzie can simply select a bigger back, such as Pittsburgh's James Conner, who's comfortable picking up blitzes in the middle rounds.

Bad Move: Drafting O.J. Howard in the First Round

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After the Senior Bowl, Alabama product tight end O.J. Howard generated plenty of buzz for himself as the most complete prospect in the draft process thus far, per ESPN's Todd McShay. However, the Raiders have critical issues on the defensive side of the ball that can't be ignored.

Furthermore, tight end Clive Walford didn't receive a fair shake at displaying his full potential in former offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave's offense. The second-year tight end ranked fifth and fourth in targets among the team's receivers during the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

With an emphasis on featuring the tight end as a more prominent target in the passing game, we could see the best out of Walford in the upcoming season. 

Oakland would benefit from selecting a linebacker, defensive back or cornerback in the opening round rather than supplanting Walford at a position that typically doesn't move the needle. Even Howard would be hard pressed to fulfill his first-round tag if he's not seeing enough targets as a featured weapon in the passing offense.

Good Move: Drafting Safety Marcus Williams in an Early Round

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The Raiders ball-hawking safety Reggie Nelson has one year left on his deal at 33 years old, per Spotrac. Keith McGill's transition from cornerback to safety hasn't panned out, and safety Nate Allen will hit the free-agent market in March.

Oakland addressed the safety position with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2016 draft and the decision-makers should add another quality safety while Nelson remains in uniform as a contributor and teacher for a young talent behind him. Karl Joseph expressed gratitude for the veteran's guidance last summer.

Utah product Marcus Williams doesn't have the tackling skills to switch between the two safety positions, but his strengths will set him up for a productive career as a high safety, who can shorten drives with takeaways. 

Ohio State safety Malik Hooker has garnered the spotlight as the top ball-hawking safety in the draft after snagging seven interceptions and returning three for touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore. Nonetheless, Williams logged five interceptions in his sophomore and junior years at Utah.

CBS Sports draft rankings project Williams as a second- or third-round pick. After the Raiders address their front seven in the first round, the Utes safety should be high on the big board on Day 2 of the draft.

Stats provided by Sports-Reference.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.