2021 Free Agency

[Humble_Beast]

On 6/24/2021 at 12:38 PM, Geezy said:

We usually keep a balance, during the season. Wouldn’t mind Ingram 

The only guy who still on the roster that is shocking to me is Richard. I would use his salary for Ingram. I think Richard is a solid 3rd down RB with burst, maybe we can ship him out during camp. I just think we spent alot of a very good RB2 who is also going to be the 3rd down back. 

 

Hoping we can dangle MM, Richard, maybe one of those vet corners for draft picks at the end of training camp.

[MrOaktown_56]

51 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

Great point. I've been an advocate for years of building the pass rush from the DT position and then outwards. Every year it seems I'm pushing a DT towards the top of the draft or writing that we should be looking at such and such DT in free agency as we never seem to have anyone pushing the pocket or getting penetration or helping out the outside pass rush.

It's a great thing to have a speedy, bendy edge rusher like Ngakuoe but I do question what is to stop the QB from stepping up into a clean pocket away from the pass rush whilst the opposition tackle can shepherd our speed rushers past the QB. Even though we've spent resources at end we still need somebody doing the job inside of creating some pressure, pushing the centres and guards back and getting in the QBs face, keeping the QB from just skipping up and evading the speed rush on the outside. This is still a massive question mark. Solomon Thomas, Jefferson and Stills could potentially offer some pass rush and penetration, they're all smaller guys (compared with guys like Hankins) who could potentially have a massive role in making the outside pass rush effective but whilst we know Crosby and Ngakoue are good pass rusher s with proven production and credentials the guys inside are all potential and hope at this point.

I like what we've got at DE but I'm still in the camp that DT can have a bigger effect on DE and pass rush that the other way round. I don't think the DEs will have quite the effect on the DTs that will make them super effective, either the DTs will be effective and help out the ends and they'll prosper or we're in for another long season watching an ineffective or less than optimum pass rush as the DTs struggle to generate push.

Jefferson is a decent player. Ferrell had some success rushing inside. That's about it. We should have taken the iowa DT nixon in the 4th/5th. He's gonna be a good player.

[Mr Raider]

49 minutes ago, Darbsk said:

Great point. I've been an advocate for years of building the pass rush from the DT position and then outwards. Every year it seems I'm pushing a DT towards the top of the draft or writing that we should be looking at such and such DT in free agency as we never seem to have anyone pushing the pocket or getting penetration or helping out the outside pass rush.

It's a great thing to have a speedy, bendy edge rusher like Ngakuoe but I do question what is to stop the QB from stepping up into a clean pocket away from the pass rush whilst the opposition tackle can shepherd our speed rushers past the QB. Even though we've spent resources at end we still need somebody doing the job inside of creating some pressure, pushing the centres and guards back and getting in the QBs face, keeping the QB from just skipping up and evading the speed rush on the outside. This is still a massive question mark. Solomon Thomas, Jefferson and Stills could potentially offer some pass rush and penetration, they're all smaller guys (compared with guys like Hankins) who could potentially have a massive role in making the outside pass rush effective but whilst we know Crosby and Ngakoue are good pass rusher s with proven production and credentials the guys inside are all potential and hope at this point.

I like what we've got at DE but I'm still in the camp that DT can have a bigger effect on DE and pass rush that the other way round. I don't think the DEs will have quite the effect on the DTs that will make them super effective, either the DTs will be effective and help out the ends and they'll prosper or we're in for another long season watching an ineffective or less than optimum pass rush as the DTs struggle to generate push.

I agree completely. 100%. 

Although this draft was an unfortunate one to be in serious need of an impact interior player, at least right away. I was praying we would be able to land Levi Onwuzurike in the 2nd, but he didn't even make it there. I didn't love Barmore personally but would have taken a shot in round two. I did really like Nixon but he went much later than I had him pegged so maybe the front offices knew something I didn't about character or injury, or they just liked his tape less than I did when watching what I could find. 

Honestly on the interior front, I am most hopeful that Ferrell can make a leap playing on the interior, I think that is where he will get most of his opportunities to rush the passer this year with Yannick and Crosby being our best outside pass rushing duo (and a good one two punch IMO). That could make a HUGE difference for our defense and in theory he has the skills to do it at a high enough level to let our outside pass rush improvement not be negated. But with Ferrell it's banking on development and improvement based on everything but anything remotely close to consistency on the NFL field. 

On the whole the interior this year is entirely in the hands of someone breaking out and developing into something close to good pass rush ability, and while I like the approach of collecting young, former high first round picks (Ferrell and Thomas), along with guys that have shown the ability to get you 3 or 4 sacks on the interior at the NFL level that are still young and should have their best football in front of them (Jefferson and Philon), and a couple recent undrafted guys with a lot to like athleticism wise (Stills and Vickers). It still seems like that approach would be a better bet to make if we had even one veteran (even an aging one that is in the back half of their career). 

DT is the spot I am worried most about derailing the entire defense and keeping us towards the very bottom of the league. I haven't given up on Ferrell and I liked Thomas coming out quite a bit, and I actually liked what I saw from Vickers in the back half of the season last year, it's just so hard to rely on guys doing something at a high level when they have never shown to be able to do period outside of a game here or there. Especially at such a critical position for most team defenses success. 

I am slightly more encouraged about it though shifting from a defense like Gunthers that only ever found any real success with an elite interior pass rush to a defense like Bradley's that has produced good defenses without an elite interior pass rushing threat (the Chargers), and a defense in Seattle that found a lot of success with the main interior rusher being Bennet who took 3 or 4 years to really come into his own in Tampa before going to Seattle and becoming the pro bowl player that was so important on those defenses (that shares a fair amount of similarities to Ferrell in terms of size, potential best role in the NFL, and production his first few years in the league).

[jimkelly02]

2 hours ago, MrOaktown_56 said:

Jefferson is a decent player. Ferrell had some success rushing inside. That's about it. We should have taken the iowa DT nixon in the 4th/5th. He's gonna be a good player.

Nixon would have been an A+++ pick for us in rounds 4 or 5

[MrOaktown_56]

4 minutes ago, jimkelly02 said:

Nixon would have been an A+++ pick for us in rounds 4 or 5

I’m sure he had some character flags but who cares at that point in the draft.

[Humble_Beast]

I think they are high on Solomon Thomas. I'm hoping our 3rd round picks are better this year and prove their worth. our defense could really use it. still think our biggest needs going into next year are DT, CB, G I could see those being the top 3 picks 

[Humble_Beast]

On 6/25/2021 at 6:14 PM, jimkelly02 said:

I haven’t had time with work to assess the raiders cap space but remember we need cap space for the Practice Squad and cap space for when players get hurt and we have to bring in veterans.  Most teams carry 2M minimum into week 1 for this.

I would cut Richard and rework a contract. Ingram stock is very low, I bet he would outplay his prove it deal. 

[ronjon1990]

18 hours ago, MrOaktown_56 said:

Jefferson is a decent player. Ferrell had some success rushing inside. That's about it. We should have taken the iowa DT nixon in the 4th/5th. He's gonna be a good player.

We gave DT the LB treatment. 

I was pounding the table hard for Tufele, Togiai, Tuipolotu, Shelvin, and Nixon from Moehrig onward. Heck, I would've prioritized Marvin Wilson as a UDFA. When we took a 3rd C over him, I was dumbfounded. Nothing against Morrissey, but why would we totally ignore DT was my issue. Morrissey, imo, is almost assuredly stuck on the PS , while a DT could've actively competed (I felt the same about RB, but I like our UDFA guy from UL). 

Any of those guys would've been nice, even if just to eat space and stuff runs (Shelvin, imo, wasn't much of a pass rusher but would almost certainly draw plenty of double teams). 

DT is our weakest link by far until proven otherwise. But, hey, we got S's, hybrids, and reserve DE's for days! #depth. 

 

[Humble_Beast]

at least we got Stills, maybe thought he was going be a mid rounder 

[Darbsk]

23 hours ago, MrOaktown_56 said:

Jefferson is a decent player. Ferrell had some success rushing inside. That's about it. We should have taken the iowa DT nixon in the 4th/5th. He's gonna be a good player.

Loved Nixon, he seems to be a real technician and a guy I can see vastly outperforming his draft stock. I thought he'd be gone in the 2nd round so was gutted we didn't take him round 3 or 4. We just didn't seem to be tempted at DT at all......

[ronjon1990]

22 hours ago, Humble_Beast said:

at least we got Stills, maybe thought he was going be a mid rounder 

I like Stills everywhere except for size. 

Hopefully the NFL training beefs him up a bit. 

 

[Rolni]

On 6/30/2021 at 9:39 PM, ronjon1990 said:

I like Stills everywhere except for size. 

Hopefully the NFL training beefs him up a bit. 

 

There is no training for short arms

That is his big issue in the NFL IMO. That is why he went UDFA IMO.

[drfrey13]

3 hours ago, Rolni said:

There is no training for short arms

That is his big issue in the NFL IMO. That is why he went UDFA IMO.

There is probably some cut off point in arm length that the bust rate is through the roof.  Kind of like O-linemen and 5.4 second 40s.

[Humble_Beast]

On 6/30/2021 at 12:39 PM, ronjon1990 said:

I like Stills everywhere except for size. 

Hopefully the NFL training beefs him up a bit. 

 

if he can just be a rotation pass rusher, that would be a win for an UDFA

[NYRaider]

On 6/29/2021 at 10:41 AM, ronjon1990 said:

DT is our weakest link by far until proven otherwise. But, hey, we got S's, hybrids, and reserve DE's for days! #depth. 

We were just somewhat in a bad spot as far as DT goes because there weren't a ton of high level guys in FA or the draft this year.