Mock Offseason

[Rich7sena]

Starting cap: $79,424,403 (Spotrac.com)

CUTS

• Jordy Nelson - $7,200,000 savings
  • I would definitely consider bringing him back at around $4 million per, but he's not worth his current salary.
• Tahir Whitehead - $6,375,000 savings
  • Ultimately, I do not think he offers the team anything more on the field than Lee or Cabinda, who are much cheaper.
• Donald Penn - $5,600,000 savings
  • At 35 years old, scheduled to play out of position, and showing signs of decline last season, Penn is not someone I envision being a part of the team's future success.
• Seth Roberts - $4,650,000 savings
  • Roberts is another player I'd consider bringing back and a cheaper salary because of his familiarity with Carr. He has no upside, but there is a floor built by trust.
• DeAndre Washington - $720,000 savings
  • Never materialized into anything but a 3rd string runningback. Better to move on.

 

RE-SIGN

• Jared Cook - 2 years, $14,000,000
  • Far and away the team's most effective receiver in 2018. I'm still wary of him getting injured, but when he's healthy he's often a mismatch for safeties and linebackers.
• Jon Feliciano - 2 years, $4,000,000
  • He really showed me something against Pittsburgh. He deserves a spot back on the team.
• Marcell Ateman - 2 years, $3,000,000
  • Not crazy about him, but I do think he is a good play-style match for Carr and continuity is generally good thing--even if it's from a year to forget.
• Jason Cabinda - 2 years, $2,000,000
  • If you cut a highlight reel of all the Raiders' linebackers this season, Cabinda's would look like the best backer on the team. He deserves a chance to compete for a starting job.

RFA

• Jalen Richard - 2 years, $6,000,000 - 2nd round
  • I have no delusions of Richard being more than he is: a better than average NFL satellite back. Richard has been a consistent player year-to-year and provides assurance for Carr out of the backfield and playing lead back in a pinch.
• Erik Harris - 2 years, $3,000,000 - 7th round
  • As far as FA safeties go, Harris might be the best deal the Raiders can muster. He is instinctive and athletic enough to be good enough to disappear into the secondary if called upon.
• Daryl Worley - 1 year, $1,500,000 - 3rd round
  • Honestly not a fan of Worley's work this season, but I would like the team to retain either he or Melvin. Melvin has been the better player, but Worley is much younger and there still might be some upside in him.

FREE AGENTS

• Le’Veon Bell - 3 years, $51,000,000
  • This team needs offensive playmakers. Bell offers nearly as much as a runner as he does as a receiver.
• Preston Smith - 4 years, $48,000,000
  • He won't wow you with sack numbers, but he gets consistent pressure and play all along the defensive front.
• Anthony Barr - 4 years, $36,000,000
  • I went back and forth in my head on Barr, but after watching him this past week against Miami, I think the Raiders would be wise to sign him as a linebacker, but use him more as a pass rusher than he was in Minnesota. 
• Tyrell Williams - 4 years, $32,000,000
  • The best receiver currently available on the market. He can play the slot or on the outside, has speed to win deep, and possesses the size Carr likes in his targets.
• Bobby Massie - 3 years, $24,000,000
  • Long-term solution at right tackle. 
• DeVante Parker - 1 year, $6,000,000
  • Parker has tremendous upside and is among the top 20-30 most talented receivers in the league in my opinion. I think he could thrive with Carr.
• Allen Bailey - 1 year, $4,000,000
  • Guenther seems to like these tweener end/tackle types. Bailey has given the Raiders problems before and he'd be a good veteran depth play at either tackle or end.
• Buster Skrine - 1 year, $3,000,000
  • Skrine is a feisty slot corner who could help Nelson develop into a competent starter.
• Tavon Austin - 1 year, $1,000,000
  • Returner.

Ending cap: $18,469,403

DRAFT

• 1.2 - Josh Allen, Edge, Kentucky
  • Best pass rusher not named Bosa. Explosive and powerful off the edge.
• 1.22 - Justin Layne, CB, Michigan State
  • Leveraging his relative unknown status this early in the process. He's Greedy Williams with less long speed but a better tackler.
• 1.27 - Germaine Pratt, LB, NC State
  • Plays with his head on fire in a good way. The Raiders could use a linebacker who is proactive in getting after the ball.
• 2.33 - Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State
  • A receiver tailor made for Carr's talents and a possible vertical-type offense.
• 3.66 - J.R. Reed, S, Georgia
  • Do-it-all safety who plays with natural instincts and urgency. 
• 4.97 - Irv Smith Jr., TE, Alabama
  • Highly athletic tight end to develop behind Cook and Lee. Already fairly well developed as a blocker.
• 5.130 - Devin Singletary, RB, Florida Atlantic
  • Power and balance of a 220 lbs. runningback in the body and quickness of a 200 lber. Much better version of DeAndre Washington.

 

ACTIVE ROSTER

QB: Derek Carr, A.J. McCarron

RB: Le’Veon Bell, Jalen Richard, Devin Singletary

WR: Tyrell Williams, DeVante Parker, Hakeem Butler, Marcell Ateman, Tavon Austin

TE: Jared Cook, Lee Smith, Derek Carrier, Irv Smith Jr.

T: Kolton Miller, Bobby Massie, Brandon Parker

G: Kelechi Osemele, Gabe Jackson, Jon Feliciano, *cheap vet or late round draft pick

C: Rodney Hudson

 

DE: Preston Smith, Josh Allen, Allen Bailey, Arden Key

DT: P.J. Hall, Maurice Hurst, Justin Ellis, Eddie Vanderdoes

LB: Anthony Barr, Germaine Pratt, Marquel Lee, Jason Cabinda, Nicholas Morrow

CB: Gareon Conley, Justin Layne, Daryl Worley, Buster Skrine, Nick Nelson

S: Karl Joseph, J.R. Reed, Erik Harris

 

[big_palooka]

Thoughts on the draft:

#2 is way too rich for Josh Allen. He needs to be in the right system to thrive. He's not a pure edge. He gets by on athleticism more than technique right now

Singletary is RB2 on a lot of lists. Doubtful he last until round 5. I don't see Irv Smith lasting until round 4 either, but maybe with depth of TE in the class. 

Otherwise, great job. I like the idea giving Parker a shot. Butler feels like the same WR however (give me Riley Ridley)

Bell - I'm torn on. Seems like a luxury on a rebuilding team. I wouldn't hate it, but I'd rather wait until 2020 and draft one of those backs. 

[Rich7sena]

35 minutes ago, big_palooka said:

Thoughts on the draft:

#2 is way too rich for Josh Allen. He needs to be in the right system to thrive. He's not a pure edge. He gets by on athleticism more than technique right now

Singletary is RB2 on a lot of lists. Doubtful he last until round 5. I don't see Irv Smith lasting until round 4 either, but maybe with depth of TE in the class. 

Otherwise, great job. I like the idea giving Parker a shot. Butler feels like the same WR however (give me Riley Ridley)

Bell - I'm torn on. Seems like a luxury on a rebuilding team. I wouldn't hate it, but I'd rather wait until 2020 and draft one of those backs. 

By the time the draft rolls around Allen will be the presumptive 2nd overall pick--book it. Allen is system proof. Just because Kentucky didn't let him rush as much as he probably will in the NFL doesn't mean he's not a pure edge. He is 6'5", 260 lbs., long, strong, and will probably run sub 4.6. He has enough moves to have double-digit sacks in his rookie season provided he plays starter snaps. He had 14 sacks and 18 TFL while playing edge rusher part-time.

Lists this far out from the draft really don't mean much. Singletary is a nice RB prospect but doubtful any team views him as a future feature back.  Despite his contact balance and quickness, he's 200 lbs. and relatively slow--expect him to go around 4-5. I say all this as an FAU alum.

As far as Irv Smith goes, TE is usually a tough position to read as far as where they'll end up in the draft. I have Fant going before the Raiders pick at 22 but the rest of the class I see going later than expected. Tight end (and safety) almost always go far lower than expected.

Lastly, I believe any team with a franchise quarterback is not really rebuilding. Bell would make the offense viable.

[NJ Raider]

I really like the free agency plan. Looks good. We may not land some of those guys in the draft, but I am really warming up to Allen with our top five pick. Don’t know much about Pratt. I am leaning towards Devin bush at the end of the first.

[big_palooka]

37 minutes ago, Rich7sena said:

By the time the draft rolls around Allen will be the presumptive 2nd overall pick--book it. Allen is system proof. Just because Kentucky didn't let him rush as much as he probably will in the NFL doesn't mean he's not a pure edge. He is 6'5", 260 lbs., long, strong, and will probably run sub 4.6. He has enough moves to have double-digit sacks in his rookie season provided he plays starter snaps. He had 14 sacks and 18 TFL while playing edge rusher part-time.

I don't doubt that. Especially with edge needy Raiders likely at 2. Doesn't mean he's worth that spot. His technique needs a lot of work. He wins with athleticism right now. I saw a comparison to him as Bruce Irvin and that feels about right. Athletic, need to have him in space and use him a chess piece. 

[Rich7sena]

7 minutes ago, NJ Raider said:

I really like the free agency plan. Looks good. We may not land some of those guys in the draft, but I am really warming up to Allen with our top five pick. Don’t know much about Pratt. I am leaning towards Devin bush at the end of the first.

Pratt is the highly athletic linebacker who was a former safety from NC State. I think the best comp I can think of for him is Jarrad Davis but I think he's better than Davis in coverage. My main concern about Bush is athleticism and size. He seems moves well and he sees things well, but I think he's just a tick below what I look for in the first round backer when it comes to raw athleticism.

5 minutes ago, big_palooka said:

I don't doubt that. Especially with edge needy Raiders likely at 2. Doesn't mean he's worth that spot. His technique needs a lot of work. He wins with athleticism right now. I saw a comparison to him as Bruce Irvin and that feels about right. Athletic, need to have him in space and use him a chess piece. 

He'll be worth the spot because he's that good of a prospect. I think he's every bit the player Bradley Chubb was last year--albeit a different type of prospect. Winning with athleticism isn't bad, especially when the prospect is an elite athlete. Raw athleticism alone gets guys like Von Miller, Jadaveon Clowney, Everson Griffin, Danielle Hunter, and 4-6 sacks a year. Further, He does have moves: I've seen him use an inside spin counter, one arm stab, bull rush, and arm swipe.

Irvin didn't have nearly the size and strength coming out. He's closer to Von Miller or Khalil Mack than Irvin.

[Rolni]

Like it overall.

Ateman and Cabinda are ERFA's so we can have them for a few K in '19. I would just roll with them on those tenders. Same with the RFA's...maybe Richard already worth an extension, but to me Worley is still a questionmark.

I like the Williams pick up and would be ok with the Parker prove it deal. If we get those two we could move on from Jordy and Roberts safely.

Smith would be a good pick up. Bailey is interesting and could work as Frostee's replacement. Barr could be a nice fit. 

Massie is a good pick up IMO.

I'm not a Bell fan, so I would pass on him, however I get your point with him.

Like the draft, can't really say anything about who will be available at which pick...we need to get closer to the draft, so more and more experts can echo some value, ranking, insider info stuff for those debates

[NCOUGHMAN]

Like it except I’d squeeze another o lineman in there

I’m torn with this years wr class. I’ve started watching more ole miss games to look at their wr core.

What’s the info in this Iowa st wr guy?

And info on Justin layne? I don’t like slow dbs no more Reggie Nelson’s 

 

iffy about irv Smith he looks real short for te imo

 

[SBXISBXVSBXVIII]

1 hour ago, NCOUGHMAN said:

Like it except I’d squeeze another o lineman in there

Jonah Williams 

[big_palooka]

Regarding Bell. That is a move that would make no sense after what's transpired this year. You're rebuilding, why would you spend big on a RB on a roster that won't be competitive for another 2-3 years at the earliest?

[Rich7sena]

 

3 hours ago, NCOUGHMAN said:

Like it except I’d squeeze another o lineman in there

I’m torn with this years wr class. I’ve started watching more ole miss games to look at their wr core.

What’s the info in this Iowa st wr guy?

And info on Justin layne? I don’t like slow dbs no more Reggie Nelson’s 

 

iffy about irv Smith he looks real short for te imo

 

Hakeem Butler is 6'5" receiver who has incredible ball skills and long speed--I suspect he'll run sub 4.45. He's also very strong despite being lean. My current comp for him is a raw A.J. Green.

Justin Layne is not slow, he's just probably not as fast as Greedy but is probably better in other areas. Do yourself a favor and watch Dwayne Haskin's cut-up vs. Michigan State and keep your eye on #2.

Irv Smith is probably at least 6'3". That's a fine height for a tight end if he proves to be as quick as he seems on the field. Jordan Reed and Delanie Walker are both under 6'3".

1 hour ago, big_palooka said:

Regarding Bell. That is a move that would make no sense after what's transpired this year. You're rebuilding, why would you spend big on a RB on a roster that won't be competitive for another 2-3 years at the earliest?

If you think Carr's a franchise QB then you're not rebuilding, you're reloading. I believe the team would be playoff viable with this offseason.

[Bitty 2.0]

Justin Herbert  is going # 1 some team will trade up to get him, probably the Jaguars.

That leaves Bosa at #2

[big_palooka]

1 hour ago, Bitty 2.0 said:

Justin Herbert  is going # 1 some team will trade up to get him, probably the Jaguars.

That leaves Bosa at #2

Herbert hasn't declared yet first off. And if the current draft order is:

1) Arizona - Rosen

2) Vegas - Carr

3) NY Jets - Darnold

4) San Fran - Garrapollo 

5) Jacksonville 

So Jacksonville can stay right where they are and draft a QB. Only threat is NY Giants but they don't need to trade #1 overall to get a QB. 

Only way the Raiders land Bosa is to trade up or hope AZ takes someone else.

[Rich7sena]

1 hour ago, Bitty 2.0 said:

Justin Herbert  is going # 1 some team will trade up to get him, probably the Jaguars.

That leaves Bosa at #2

Herbert is not going #1.

[big_palooka]

2 hours ago, Rich7sena said:

If you think Carr's a franchise QB then you're not rebuilding, you're reloading. I believe the team would be playoff viable with this offseason.

If you're reloading, then you don't unload the entire roster and trade your best player for draft picks.

That is not a playoff roster. They wouldn't compete in the AFC West.

1) No proven LT - relying on Miller to make a massive leap in year 2. And your forgetting Cable is odds on still the Oline coach.

2) No proven pass rusher - Preston Smith is a nice middle of road pass rusher. Allen would be a rookie so you're relying on him being NFL ready. Would need Key/Hurst/Hall make big jumps.

3) LBs still suck - Barr is just okay, he's a role player. And you're relying on another rookie Pratt in a big role. Cabinda has barely flashed. He's not a starting caliber LB (this is the Morrow conversation all over again). 

This is every Raider offseason for the last decade. Bunch of potential and no actual proven talent. When are we going to see something more that potential is my question?