Both Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen are on the hot seat this year, after back-to-back seasons of 4-12. The silver and black haven’t shown much commitment to excellence lately, but owner Mark Davis called 2014 a “transformative offseason,” and it better be for Allen and McKenzie’s sake. In the past, cap space has been an issue, this year its not. No more excuses, this is the offseason the Raiders have been waiting for, now they just need to be smart with their money.
There’s not much the Oakland Raiders don’t need as the 2014 offseason approaches. With the most cap space in approximately $64 million this offseason, the Raiders have no more excuses for poor play. They have the money to get key players, and good positioning in the draft.
As a team in rebuilding mode, the silver and black need a quarterback for the future. A guy who they can build around and a quarterback who can prosper. While Oakland has been rumored to be interested in different veteran quarterbacks, such as Michael Vick, however, they need to be mindful of his age and the fact that he’s prone to injury.
Both Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston are two players the Raiders need to sign. They didn’t put a franchise tag on either of them, and they can’t afford to lose them to the free agent market.
The offensive line was simply horrible last season, and the loss of Veldheer to injury for most of the season was a huge factor. Veldheer is a player that needs to be a top priority for Reggie McKenzie, and can be signed considering the cap room they have this year.
Houston was a force on the defense last season and stepped up when needed. His six sacks recorded last season are the most in his career. The Raiders pass rush is a concern, but with Houston the defense is better and can continue to improve. It’s somewhat surprising that they haven’t been signed yet, but there’s still time.
Charles Woodson and Rashad Jennings are two key players they must consider signing as well. While Woodson is getting older, he has shown he still has some fuel left in the tank and speaks highly of what is happening in Oakland. Jennings was the key to their run game and did very well with 163 carries. Darren McFadden is also a free agent, but with his injury riddled history, unless they can sign him at a bargain price, it’s time to move on.
There are many big names on the free agent list this year, and with the money the Raiders have to spend, a few may land in Oakland.
McKenzie has ties to many players of the Green Bay Packers after spending many years in the organization. He has brought some former Packers to Oakland, and defensive tackle B.J. Raji may be on his radar. If the Raiders decide to wait it out a bit to see a drop in price, the Raiders could very well join the bidding for Raji.
Jared Allen’s name has also popped up in relation to the Raiders. The veteran defensive end can provide consistency and production at the position. Michael Bennett is also a possibility, however he has stated he wants to return to the Seattle Seahawks. However, price may be an issue for him in the open market. If Oakland were to sign him, it would most likely be for a pretty big contract.
The Raiders receiving core is limited and inconsistent at best. Rod Streater had another nice season, but the offense needs more weapons. Hakeem Nicks is an option with potentially low cost and high reward.
The draft will also play a big part in the Raiders offseason as they have decent picks this year, but none more important than that of number five.
McKenzie has stated the Raiders were going to attack the offseason as they need to bring in as many missing pieces as they can. The Raiders are in need of improvement at multiple positions, but this is the offseason to make those improvements and get them back to their winning ways.
Oakland is expected to have a very busy offseason with $65 million to spend, let’s just hope they do so wisely.