Several Raiders players are set to become free agents this offseason. They already locked up their two biggest priorities, signing Darren Waller and Richie Incognito to extensions. But there are still quite a few players who they should be thinking about re-signing. Here they are in tiers of what priority I see them placing on their return.
High priority
G Denzelle Good, 28
Good was in line to start at left guard until the team signed Richie Incognito. They have re-signed Incognito to a 2-year deal, but when Incognito was lost to injury late in the season, Good showed no noticeable drop-off in play at the position. He is about as good as you can get from a utility reserve guard. Bring him back, and the Raiders are set at the position.
DL Dion Jordan, 29
The moment Jordan came off his 10-week suspension by the NFL, the Raiders scooped him up. The former 3rd overall pick showed some impressive skills both as an end and as a tackle. As Gruden has said, pass rushers are hard to find. The Raiders got one in Jordan, so hold onto him.
DB Daryl Worley, 24
Worley played every position in the secondary late in the season due to injuries. He is a starting cornerback who is aggressive and tackles well. Players with his talents don’t grow on trees. The Raiders traded Gareon Conley because they were content with Worley and Trayvon Mullen as the outside starters. Let Worley go and you have a glaring hole to fill.
Moderate priority
LB Will Compton, 30
Quite a find late in the season. He was a tackling machine down the stretch. He put up 26 tackles in the final three games and the defense held opponents to under 18 points per game (17.6). It should be easy to get him back. He was signed off the street midseason and is 30 years of age. Keep in mind, the Raiders were in the exact same situation with NaVorro Bowman and showed no interest in bringing him back.
WR/RS Dwayne Harris, 32
In 2018, Harris was one of the best special teams players in the league. Both as a return man and as a gunner. He got injured this season and the Raiders were never really able to replace him. They need to get him and his Yorkies back next season.
S Karl Joseph, 26
I like Joseph. I think the Raiders do too. But it isn’t that simple. They also really like Erik Harris and Johnathan Abram. The three of them would be a hell of a trio, but is Joseph interested in that? He is a starting-caliber safety, which could mean he has to go to another team to get that start.
DE Benson Mayowa, 28
Mayowa was a beast early in the season as a situational pass rusher. Leading the team with 7.0 sacks in the first nine games. By the latter half of the season, his sack number dried up as did the rest of his stats. A lot of that had to do with the emergence of Maxx Crosby as an every-down defensive end. Mayowa was a late offseason addition last year and could be worthy of a return this year as well.
RB Jalen Richard, 26
Gruden has enjoyed having Richard as his receiving back. There’s value in that, and his skill set isn’t exactly a dime a dozen, but should he go elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a huge loss.
RB DeAndré Washington, 26
It was Washington’s best season as a Raider. He showed a decisiveness he hadn’t shown in previous years and it may have earned him an offer to return. But, again, the odds are fairly good that there are backs with his skillset to be found either in the back end of free agency or the mid-rounds of the draft. The Raiders may make low offers to him and Richard and keep the one that agrees to it.
Low priority
G Jordan Devey, 31
The team’s primary backup center until he was injured, he has value as a utility interior lineman. However, Gruden glowed about undrafted rookie Andre James, so he could just stick with him.
RB Isaiah Crowell, 27
For a bit there, Crowell was in line to be the team’s top back. He was signed after having been released by the Jets who signed Le’Veon Bell to a monster deal. Then Crowell suffered an Achilles injury in offseason practices and the team drafted Josh Jacobs and that was that.
No, I’m not saying they wouldn’t have drafted Jacobs, but that he and Crowell would have shared the backfield, with Crowell getting the first shot until they felt Jacobs was ready to handle the load. Crowell is 27 is could be worth another shot, though with season-ending injuries two years in a row, he won’t have any teams looking to make him a feature back.
DE Josh Mauro, 28
He was to be the run-stopping defensive end across from Clelin Ferrell. Then he got injured and when he came back, Maxx Crosby had emerged as an every-down end. Mauro could still hold some value in rotation, but if he wants to start, it will happen elsewhere.
S Curtis Riley, 27
His value is mostly just as a special teams player. Whenever he was in at safety, problems ensued. The only thing that could potentially see him return is, prior to the draft, the team doesn’t have a lot of safeties on the roster.
LB Kyle Wilber, 30
Another standout special teams player, but the Raiders started testing the linebacker out on the defensive line to some positive results.
LB Nicholas Morrow, 24 (RFA)
An original round tender should keep him on the roster. Even though he was undrafted.
T David Sharpe, 24 (RFA)
An original round tender will certainly keep the former 4th round pick in house as the current top option at backup swing tackle.
Let ‘em walk
LB Vontaze Burfict, 29
Suspended indefinitely. And no team is going to be signing him with the near certainty that he will have another dirty hit and be out the NFL again.
QB Mike Glennon 30
He got in the game late in the season and promptly fumbled two of his first three snaps. Later DeShone Kizer supplanted him as the primary backup to Derek Carr. We know what Glennon is at this point.
DB Nevin Lawson, 28
It’s probably a one-and-done for Lawson in Oakland. The former starter was a liability in coverage and is sure to drop any pass thrown his way, so he brings no threat to force a turnover.
DL Olsen Pierre, 28
RB Rod Smith, 27
TE Eric Tomlinson, 27
Exclusive Rights Free Agents:
K Daniel Carlson
DB Makinton Dorleant
WR Keelan Doss
G/C Cameron Hun
CB D.J. Killings
S Dallin Leavitt
QB Nathan Peterman
LS Trent Sieg
