With the offseason here, the Oakland Raiders will finally have an opportunity to address all the needs of the current roster. The team will most likely look to revamp up the defense given that the squad struggled to generate many stops during the 2017 NFL season.
However, most news out of the Bay Area in recent days has been about Oakland’s decision to part ways with popular placekicker Sebastian Janikowski. According to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk, Janikowski had nothing but kinds words for the organization:
I always knew that one day my time with the Oakland Raiders would come to an end, but I have to say, that never would have been too soon. It has been an honor and a privilege to wear the Silver and Black for these past 18 years. Words cannot express my gratitude to Mark Davis and the Raider Nation. No one could have said it better than Mr. Davis, but it is with pride and enthusiasm that I would tell my teammates to ‘Just win, baby!’”
Janikowski being let go is probably for the best given his age and injury history. The kicker missed the entirety of the 2017 NFL campaign with a back injury, but might have suitors as he is set to hit free agency.
For the silver and black, free agency and the 2018 NFL Draft will be important times for the team given all the work they still need to do. With Jon Gruden at the helm, it will be interesting to see how they look when the 2018 NFL season rolls around.
