Before free agency, before the draft, the Raiders will need to decide what they want to do with their players whose contracts are up. Not all free agents are created equal. So, I ranked them by priority to be re-signed.
High
WR Nelson Agholor
Several Raiders players have expressed their interest in having Agholor back next season. He had a career revival with the Raiders, shedding his reputation of dropping passes and becoming the deep threat that made him a first-round pick back in 2015. He also became the deep threat the Raiders haven’t yet gotten from their own rookie first-round pick, Henry Ruggs III. To let Agholor just use the Raiders as a springboard to a long term deal elsewhere would be a shame.
LG Denzelle Good
Three times the Raiders have signed Good. The first was claiming him off waivers from the Colts, then two straight one-year extensions. Unless he’s been taking advice from former Raiders OL Khalif Barnes, Good probably will be looking for a long term deal this time around. If the Raiders don’t give him one, he will likely have a few other teams will to do so.
The veteran guard started 14 games this season at both right tackle and left guard. And he played well too. Especially considering he’d never even practiced at tackle only to step in at the position in the middle of the season opener. That kind of talent and versatility is a valuable commodity. A Gabe Jackson said recently “Pay the man.”
DE Takkarist McKinley
You simply don’t claim a player off waivers and place him on injured reserve the rest of the season only to let him walk in free agency. Granted, they claimed him with the hopes that he could return and help them in a playoff run. But on a team desperate for pass rushers, to let (another) one slip through their fingers would be unfortunate. Especially considering that he probably won’t be very expensive to keep, most likely looking for a one-year ‘prove-it’ deal to get back on the radar for a long term deal next offseason. No reason not to get this done.
Moderate
LB Nicholas Morrow
Morrow is a borderline high priority re-sign. The former undrafted free agent has been hanging around, showing every season that he deserves a starting spot. And yet each season the Raiders have sought to bring in someone to start ahead of him. T
his past season he proved himself to be the best linebacker on the team, despite sharing the position with two of their top free-agent additions, Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton. Those two aren’t going anywhere, so both Morrow and the Raiders have to decide whether they want him back long term.
DT Johnathan Hankins
You won’t find many better run-stopping nose tackles in the league. Two years in a row now Hankins finished in the top 13 in tackles among defensive tackles. Where he lacks is as a penetrator. He doesn’t offer much in the way of pass rush and the Raiders have to decide, first, if that matters to them from that position, and second if they want to keep Hankins in a rotation even if they do bring in another nose tackle.
FS Erik Harris
Another season in which Harris started the majority of the games. He caught a lot more grief from fans this past season than he did in 2019 when he three passes, returning two of them for touchdowns. But that’s just how it goes. He’s still a talented safety and special teams maven. Even if the Raiders go with Johnathan Abram and Jeff Heath as the starters next season, Harris would be worth retaining, both as a spot starter and for his work on special teams.
Low
DT Maliek Collins — Collins signed on with the Raiders on a one-year prove-it deal. And he didn’t prove it. It could be worth another one-year deal, but only if it’s far cheaper base plus incentives. If he signs elsewhere, so be it. They still have Maurice Hurst.
CB Nevin Lawson — They liked Lawson enough to bring him back and make him their dime back. I could see them doing it again, but without a single career interception to his name, he isn’t exactly a game-changer.
DE Vic Beasley — He says his main issue has been his health. He had eight sacks in 2019, so it could be worth bringing him back into the fold to see if he can show them something in camp next year.
LB Raekwon McMillan — He barely saw the field most of the season, and when he did play, he didn’t play well. But the Raiders traded a fourth-round pick to get him, so would they really give up on him before the Dolphins even made that pick?
DL Chris Smith — Of the several veteran defensive linemen the Raiders signed, he was the one who showed the most promise. He was eventually signed off the practice squad to the active roster, presumably in part to keep another team from stealing him away.
QB Nathan Peterman — The Raiders will need another option while they decide what they want to do with Marcus Mariota.
RB Devontae Booker — Proved he is serviceable and worth being in the mix at the position if and until they can find a better option.
LB Kyle Wilber — Special teams captain who they have released at the cutdown deadline the past two seasons only to bring him back.
K Daniel Carlson RFA — An original round (fifth) tender might be enough to keep him. Though a second-round tender would ensure he goes untouched by another team.
LS Trent Sieg RFA — Original round tender allows Raiders to match any offer Sieg gets. If he gets an offer from anyone else.
ERFA’s: S Dallin Leavitt, DE Kendal Vickers
Let ‘em walk
TE Derek Carrier — Never done much outside of special teams.
WR Zay Jones — Showed great chemistry with Derek Carr in the offseason and still did nothing.
RB Theo Riddick — Just not a priority at this time. If that changes, he should be available.
CB Daryl Worley — Was a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ signing this season.
TE Jason Witten — The 38-year-old should never have been signed, especially to the deal he got. Took valuable snaps away from Foster Moreau.
T Sam Young — Looks like a serviceable swing tackle when he plays. Just can’t stay healthy.
