Raiders Free Agency Primer: External Options To Consider

Jeff Spiegel
Jeff Spiegel
5 Min Read
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Well friends, it’s ‘what-if?’ season for the Las Vegas Raiders and it’s time to start dreaming. Having already covered the list of guys I’d re-sign from last year’s roster, it’s time to look outside the organization for help now.

According to Over the Cap, the Raiders have the ninth-most cap space in the league with just under $55 million to spend. For what it’s worth, Spotrac has the Raiders with the eleventh-most space, but roughly the same number.

So what will they do with it? Last year the Raiders went big right off the bat, splashing the cash for right tackle Trent Brown, defensive back Lamarcus Joyner and receiver Tyrell Williams. My guess is that this year will feature a similar approach as the roster has started to fill out with quality depth but still lacks high-end talent in some key areas. With that in mind, here are some names to watch…

Chris Jones, DT

After the performance Jones put together in the Super Bowl, it seems impossible to imagine a scenario in which the Kansas City Chiefs let him walk — but sometimes a team just doesn’t have the space to bring a guy back. If that were the case, the Raiders should be running to the bank to get Jones whatever he wants. A disruptor on the interior of the defensive line is exactly what they need, and this year it’s not a particularly deep position in the draft, so addressing it in free agency would be ideal.

Byron Jones, CB

Given the Dallas Cowboys’ abundance of high-end free agents, Jones looks to be the odd man out, which could be great news for a team like the Raiders. Not only does he have a relationship with new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, but Jones would fill an immediate need as the team’s No. 1 corner. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones graded out as the 11th-best corner over the past two seasons — and adding him would allow Travyon Mullen to develop opposite a proven stud.

Cory Littleton, LB

The Raiders are in desperate need of help at linebacker and Littleton (formerly of the Los Angeles Rams) could be the answer they are looking for. Addressing this position during free agency would free the Raiders up to look elsewhere in the draft — which could be a massive added benefit. Add in the fact that he’s one of the best coverage linebackers in the league (hello, Travis Kelce) and you see why Littleton could be such a coup.

Robby Anderson, WR

You’ve heard the name mentioned in conjunction with the Raiders for a while, so is this the year it finally comes together? Many might think that with the Raiders picking up Williams’ contract that this rules out an Anderson signing, but I’m not so sure about that. We know this year’s draft class is loaded at wide receiver, but what if the Raiders could sign Anderson and add defensive playmakers with their first two draft picks? While Anderson doesn’t have the upside of guys like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb, he’s a lot safer play, while also fitting exactly what Las Vegas needs out wide.

Leonard Williams, DL

The former first-round pick has been a disappointment for the length of his career to this point, but at just 26, some team will see the potential and take a chance. If you’re looking for a sleeper, this might be the guy. Keep in mind that when he came out of college, now Raiders general manager Mike Mayock identified him as the best defensive player in the entire draft.

Breshad Perriman, WR

Another former first-round pick, Perriman is coming off the best season of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and he comes with the one thing Jon Gruden wants more than anything else: speed. At 6’2″, Perriman ran a 4.25 40-yard dash at the combine, numbers which should have Gruden drooling after seeing what speed did for Kansas City in Miami.

Information

Jeff Spiegel was raised in California but currently resides in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he worked in sports before entering journalism full time — first as a Sports Reporter and then as the Associate Editor of a small newspaper. Online, he has been writing about both the Raiders and Dodgers since 2012 — having written for DodgersNation.com and SBNation.com prior to joining both DodgerBlue.com and RaidersNewswire.com. He left full-time journalism in 2012 to become a pastor. Jeff can be found on Twitter at @JeffSpiegel. Favorite Raider This one is an easy one for me: Charles Woodson. When the Raiders drafted him, there was nothing to dislike about the guy — he was exciting and he was freaking good. Unfortunately, of course, he left after eight seasons — but when he returned in 2013 it was one of the better Raider moments of my lifetime. At that point, I didn't care how washed he was (and he wasn't!) — I just liked having him back in the silver and black. Obviously Tim Brown is another guy that was easy to love, but Woodson is the all-timer for me. As far as current, I'm still a believer in Derek Carr and think he's going to figure this all out. Favorite Raider Moment I think I'll go with the two weeks leading up to the 2001 Super Bowl. As a kid, I remember getting the newspaper every morning to read what they were talking about, clipping out the articles to keep for later. It was obviously far more exciting than the Super Bowl itself, but I'll never forget those moments of hope leading up to the Super Bowl. I referenced it above, but second to that was probably the return of Charles Woodson in 2013 — I just loved the guy, and never dreamed he'd actually come back.