The hype of free agency has come and gone and now it’s time to look at what teams have gained and lost since March 15th and where they stand as they prepare for the upcoming draft. Let’s rant about the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders
Key acquisitions: QB Jimmy Garoppolo, S Marcus Epps, LB Robert Spillane, S Jaquan Johnson, TE Austin Hooper, TE O.J. Howard, DE Jordan Willis, WR Cam Sims, WR DeAndre Carter, CB Brandon Facyson, CB David Long, CB Duke Shelley, QB Brian Hoyer, WR Phillip Dorsett
Re-signed: RB Josh Jacobs (franchise), T Jermaine Eluemunor, G Alex Bars, RB Ameer Abdullah, FB Jakob Johnson, DT Jerry Tillery, WR Keelan Cole
Departures: QB Derek Carr (Saints), TE Darren Waller (Giants), LB Denzel Perryman (Texans), DE Clelin Ferrell (49ers), WR Mack Hollins (Falcons), QB Jarrett Stidham (Broncos), CB Sidney Jones (Bengals)
Remaining free agents: CB Anthony Averett, LB Jayon Brown, S Duron Harmon, TE Foster Moreau, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Analysis: Oh Raiders, it’s always an adventure following your free agency journey. Every year they sign like 15 guys to one-year deals, mix in a few long-term, and see what sticks. This is one of the worst drafting teams, so they really have to rely on other teams to develop players and convince them to sign in Vegas, which isn’t so hard.
After the disrespectful parting with longtime franchise QB Derek Carr, the new Josh McDaniels squad is looking to start fresh with a lot of familiar Patriot faces, starting with Jimmy Garoppolo. He gets a three-year deal to lead this team, and potentially be the bridge to a rookie this year or next, depending on how the board plays out. Jimmy G is a safe dependable starter who won’t lose games, but relies a lot on the talent around him and struggles to elevate those around him.
A big talent brought back for Jimmy was 2022 rushing leader Josh Jacobs, who was given the franchise tag. A guy who was not brought back is star tight end Darren Waller, who was traded to the Giants for a third-round pick. They brought in veterans Austin Hooper and O.J. Howard so help replace him and Foster Moreau, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma while on free agent visits.
On defense, there were no big splashes, but a couple solid signings for mid-lower level guys. With Denzel Perryman signing with the Texans, the team replaced him with Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane. The former undraftee worked his way into the starting lineup and was a solid player.
They also brought in Eagles starting safety Marcus Epps on a multi-year deal. A rotational player for a few years, he was a full-time starter in 2022 and balled out while playing 99% of snaps. He replaces free agent Duron Harmon to pair with Trevon Moehrig. they also brought in Jaquan Johnson, who’s started a few games for the Bills.
Cornerback depth was also addressed with the signings of Brandon Facyson, David Long, and Duke Shelley. Each have some starting experience with a chance to get some decent playing time with Nate Hobbs and Amik Robertson as the listed starters.
Conclusion: The Raiders are such a weird team and fans aren’t too thrilled with the current state of the franchise and how dirty they did Derek Carr. They have plenty of solid pieces, but they are far from contention. I doubt Davante Adams wants to be there any more after you traded the guy that he came to play with. The book is still out on Josh McDaniels, and so I wouldn’t be betting on the Raiders anytime soon.
Football Nerds 