All told, the Raiders have 17 players who are headed for free agency in March. They will likely bring back a few of them. Some because they legitimately don’t want to lose them. Others because it’s an easy transaction to give them another shot at winning a spot for next season.
Inevitably there will be players they want back who will leave. But not because they didn’t try. This is about those players they should put in the effort to bring back.
RB Josh Jacobs
Last offseason, when Jacobs initially was set to become a free agent, he was the reigning NFL rushing title holder. That made him a hot commodity. But ultimately the Raiders were unwilling to pay what he commanded, so they used the franchise tag on him instead.
He took a step back last season, which would seem to make him more affordable this offseason. And there is simply no way they put the franchise tag on him a second time, paying him over $14 million for next season. Making a long term deal seemingly doable this time around.
T Jermaine Eluemunor
This offseason the Raiders are facing the possibility of having an new player at every position along the offensive line but left tackle. Eluemunor catches some grief at times, but he is a passable starting right tackle. Sure, the Raiders could do with an upgrade, but even if they did, Eluemunor is worth keeping.
The veteran lineman can play guard and tackle and that versatility is valuable. Should they draft a right tackle, Eluemunor could start at guard as well as back up at tackle. And if they don’t bring anyone in at tackle, you could do a lot worse than Eluemunor as your starting right tackle.
DL Adam Butler
One of the unsung heroes on the Raiders defense late last season. Butler was the best interior defensive lineman on this team in his first full season with the team. His five sacks was more than the rest of the Raiders interior linemen COMBINED. He was third on the team in sacks, QB hits (nine), and tackles for loss (eight) behind edge rushers Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. With the difficulties the Raiders have had finding a decent interior lineman, you hold onto your find for dear life.
C Andre James
How hard the Raiders go after James is highly dependent upon how they feel about Dylan Parham. The third year lineman was drafted with the intentions of ultimately moving him to center. But that was a previous coaching staff. And if Parham moves to center, the Raiders will be in need of two guards.
Should they keep Parham at guard and re-sign James, they would need just one guard spot filled. No one will mistake James for a Pro Bowler, but he showed some marginal improvement in 2023 in his third season as the team’s starting center, so it could be worth trying to get him back.
CB Amik Robertson
Robertson fits right into the new attitude of this Raiders defense. The 5-9, 183-pounder plays bigger and his personality is even bigger. When he takes the field, he brings the juice with him. He is an asset as a teammate, even if he may not be the guy you want to rely on as your full time starter.
