Oakland Raiders' Offseason "To Do" List
"Out with the old and in with the new." This looks to be the new mantra for the Oakland Raiders. After Al Davis passed away during the season, Oakland has looked to head in a direction drastically different than it was going. Al Davis' son, Mark Davis, is the new owner. He has hired Reggie McKenzie to handle all things football in the organization.
McKenzie's first move was to fire Head Coach Hue Jackson. It was a somewhat surprising move considering the improvements Oakland's offense made under Hue Jackson's guidance. The defense was the problem for the last two years. McKenzie did bring a young defensive mind in Dennis Allen. Allen was the Broncos' defensive coordinator in 2011. Greg Knapp is the new offensive coordinator and he is bringing the zone blocking concept back to Oakland. Jason Tarver will be in charge of what is presumed to be a 3-4 defense. He was previously the defensive coordinator/LB coach at Stanford.
Personnel will be a key issue this offseason. McKenzie has walked into a team with massive contracts. Richard Seymour is half way through his two year, $30 million deal. Tommy Kelly three years deep into a seven year, $50.5 million deal. Oakland just released Stanford Routt. His deal was worth almost $11 million annually. Before Routt's release, Oakland was "just under" the projected salary cap according to a source. Cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Chris Johnson (due $5.6 million) could also be released. Tight end Kevin Boss (due $4 million) and guard Cooper Carlisle ($3 million) could be cut as well to save money.
They also have 21 free agents. Eighteen of those are unrestricted free agents. With only two draft picks (fifth and sixth round) currently, the Raiders are going to clean out more room to be aggressive in free agency. So let's look at the Raider Nation offseason "To Do" list:
Release Chris Johnson: With over five million dollars as his base salary, he is without a doubt on the chopping block. His play (although injured for a large portion of the season) was a huge reason Oakland was ranked 31st in pass defense.
Sign Bush to Long Term Deal: Bush showed was he was capable of down the stretch. When all of Oakland's star players were in the training room, Bush was out there "doin work". His stunning durability is valued in Oakland where the star back, Darren McFadden, is often sidelined with injury.
Re-sign Marcel Reece: Reece, a restricted free agent, is quite possibly the most versatile fullback in the league. He played wide receiver at University of Washington. At 245 pounds, he's been converted to fullback. He's a good blocker that creates mismatches in the passing game.
Re-Sign Tyvon Branch: Re-signing Branch may not come easy with Michael Huff's 7-mill-a-year deal. Branch is the more consistent safety and could be asked to be paid as such. In any event, Branch is their most dynamic defensive back and needs to be retained.
Nose Tackle: It looks as if Oakland is going to a 3-4. They do not have a nose tackle on the roster unless John Henderson can fit that bill. They will need to sign a free agent such as Aubrayo Franklin who could come at a decent price.
Get Zone Blockers: "Zone Blockers" are the leaner, quick linemen with good footwork opposed to the maulers Hue Jackson was fond of. They will need do a small reload with their current o-line which has two free agent starters that may not be brought back. They do at least have their franchise left tackle (Jared Veldheer). Stefan Wisniewski who is a center by trade has shown he can play guard. They will definitely be in the market for "zone blockers".
A "Big" Receiver: Denarius Moore showed promise. Jacoby Ford showed explosiveness. DHB is turning into quite the short yardage receiver. They don't really have a red zone threat. The oft-injured Chaz Schilens was supposed to be that. They could re-sign him and hope he can be relatively healthy. They could also target a receiver with huge upside in the mid to late rounds such as Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M) or Greg Childs (Arkansas).
They also have 21 free agents. Eighteen of those are unrestricted free agents. With only two draft picks (fifth and sixth round) currently, the Raiders are going to clean out more room to be aggressive in free agency. So let's look at the Raider Nation offseason "To Do" list:
Release Chris Johnson: With over five million dollars as his base salary, he is without a doubt on the chopping block. His play (although injured for a large portion of the season) was a huge reason Oakland was ranked 31st in pass defense.
Sign Bush to Long Term Deal: Bush showed was he was capable of down the stretch. When all of Oakland's star players were in the training room, Bush was out there "doin work". His stunning durability is valued in Oakland where the star back, Darren McFadden, is often sidelined with injury.
Re-sign Marcel Reece: Reece, a restricted free agent, is quite possibly the most versatile fullback in the league. He played wide receiver at University of Washington. At 245 pounds, he's been converted to fullback. He's a good blocker that creates mismatches in the passing game.
Re-Sign Tyvon Branch: Re-signing Branch may not come easy with Michael Huff's 7-mill-a-year deal. Branch is the more consistent safety and could be asked to be paid as such. In any event, Branch is their most dynamic defensive back and needs to be retained.
Nose Tackle: It looks as if Oakland is going to a 3-4. They do not have a nose tackle on the roster unless John Henderson can fit that bill. They will need to sign a free agent such as Aubrayo Franklin who could come at a decent price.
Get Zone Blockers: "Zone Blockers" are the leaner, quick linemen with good footwork opposed to the maulers Hue Jackson was fond of. They will need do a small reload with their current o-line which has two free agent starters that may not be brought back. They do at least have their franchise left tackle (Jared Veldheer). Stefan Wisniewski who is a center by trade has shown he can play guard. They will definitely be in the market for "zone blockers".
A "Big" Receiver: Denarius Moore showed promise. Jacoby Ford showed explosiveness. DHB is turning into quite the short yardage receiver. They don't really have a red zone threat. The oft-injured Chaz Schilens was supposed to be that. They could re-sign him and hope he can be relatively healthy. They could also target a receiver with huge upside in the mid to late rounds such as Jeff Fuller (Texas A&M) or Greg Childs (Arkansas).
Final Thoughts
There's no way around a tough, grueling offseason for Raider Nation. They will look to be aggressive in the offseason but will look to do so without handing out the major deals that landed them in this mess. With new philosophies on offense and defense, a transition period looks likely. However, if Oakland can get a nose tackle and cornerbacks, they could challenge for the AFC West sooner rather than later.
No comments:
Post a Comment