With more than $70 million in salary cap space and eight draft picks – including four selections in the first 35 – it seemed possible the Raiders could address all their needs during the 2019 offseason.
General manager Mike Mayock selected nine total players, including three in the first round, and he opened the checkbook for wide receiver Antonio Brown, offensive tackle Trent Brown, safety Lamarcus Joyner and WR Tyrell Williams.
But Oakland couldn’t use a prized draft pick or spend top dollar on every position of need. In some cases, the Raiders had to fill the roster with controversial or inexpensive free-agent pickups or unproven holdovers from last season.
In essence, the Raiders spent major capital on multiple positions but had to go bargain hunting to fill others.
Here are three positions addressed with bargain players, starting on the offensive line.
Left guard
After opting to trade last year’s starter at left guard, Kelechi Osemele, the Raiders were in immediate need of a replacement. Rather than address the situation via the first wave of free agency or the NFL draft, Mayock and Jon Gruden waited and acquired the talented but troubled Richie Incognito, who returned from a one-year retirement after 12 seasons and signed a one-year deal.
Oakland decided to let G Jon Feliciano walk in free agency, and he signed with Buffalo, Incognito’s former team. Feliciano is a solid guard, but hitting free agency at 27 years old, the asking price was apparently too steep. He signed a two-year, $7.25 million deal with the Bills.
The Raiders could have drafted an immediate starter in Rounds 2-4 if they chose wisely. Mayock selected four players during that time, though Oakland didn’t have a third-round pick. Mayock traded that selection, along with a fifth-round choice, for Antonio Brown.
But the largest issue at left guard is having to turn to Incognito. The four-time Pro Bowler’s past is troublesome, including allegations of bullying and racially charged threats. Most recently, he pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge for threatening to harm employees at a funeral home, according to CBS Sports’ Sean Wagner-McGough.
Incognito is talented, so this move has potential. But because of the funeral incident, he’ll miss the first two weeks of the season while serving a suspension, both of which are division games at home.
It’s possible either Jonathan Cooper or Denzelle Good performs well in his absence and Gruden is forced to make a tough decision. But left guard appears to be Incognito’s job. Incorporating Incognito could be a challenge for team leadership, but if they can do it, the offense will be stronger on the field and off.
Tight end
The Raiders chose not to spend valuable cash on their own free agent at tight end, Jared Cook. Cook had a career year in Oakland in 2018 and signed a two-year, $15 million deal with the Saints.
Mayock and Gruden found a replacement on their own roster. Tight end Darren Waller impressed late last season after being signed off the Ravens’ practice squad. The former wide receiver is fast, as was Cook, recording a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Oakland did use a draft pick on a TE, selecting LSU product Foster Moreau late in the fourth round. He’s a blocking specialist with speed and potential but likely not starting material yet. The Raiders’ need at tight end was dire enough that many predicted they’d use one of their three first-round picks to replace Cook.
Waller will get the call, though there are multiple tight ends vying for his job. Those include veteran Luke Willson and underdog Paul Butler, a first-year player out of California College in Pennsylvania.
Middle linebacker
In a recent ESPN NFL roster ranking, the Raiders were listed as the fifth-worse collection of talent. The main reason? A weak linebacker unit.
Oakland signed veteran middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict to lead the group, but ESPN wasn’t impressed, citing his 47.9 Pro Football Focus rating last season. He knows the scheme of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther from their days together with the Bengals, however, which is expected to aid Burfict.
Though its understandable Raiders brass didn’t want to spend big money on a free-agent middle linebacker that doesn’t know Guenther’s scheme, the position was begging for new talent via the draft. Oakland’s No. 129 selection would have been a great spot to pull the trigger. Alabama product Mack Wilson wasn’t selected until pick No. 155, for example.
But the Raiders instead chose cornerback Isaiah Johnson, the second of two cornerbacks chosen in 2019 by Oakland. The Raiders did sign undrafted free agent MLB Te’von Coney, who was rated highly by PFF.
Burfict has a reputation as a dirty player, as well, and he’s racked up an impressive list of fines and suspensions, as detailed by For the Win. Burfict’s issues are on the field, at least, which isn’t the case with Incognito.
The Raiders had a rebuild on their hands in preparing for this season. Once Antonio Brown, arguably the best WR in pro football, became available, the timeline accelerated.
But even with the vast amount of resources at the Raiders’ disposal, there were just too many holes to fill. The players Oakland invested heavily in, such as Antonio Brown and Trent Brown, must play at an elite level for the Raiders to thrive. The same goes for their first-round picks: defensive end Clelin Ferrell, running back Josh Jacobs and safety Johnathan Abrams.
And for the positions filled with a bargain, those players have to hold their own. The Raiders could have opted for a traditional, methodical rebuild, but the plan is to contend right now. And part of that plan is for their bargains to perform just as well as their big-ticket players.
