The Oakland Raiders have been arguably the biggest player in free agency since the league year officially started on Wednesday. Surprisingly, they may not yet be done.
General manager Reggie McKenzie has already landed some of the top free agents on the market, including offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, linebacker Bruce Irvin, and cornerback Sean Smith, who is the latest big name to join the Raiders roster. The silver and black were one of the most improved teams during the 2015 season, as head coach Jack Del Rio led them to a 7-9 record in his first season. Del Rio and McKenzie are now looking to bring the first winning season to Oakland since the franchise lost the Super Bowl during the 2002 season.
The Raiders filled a big hole in their secondary by signing Smith this offseason, but still have a glaring hole at the safety position after surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer Charles Woodson announced his retirement at the end of last season. With Woodson out the door, the Raiders are reportedly trying to land free agent safety Eric Weddle.
Weddle, despite his age, is considered one of the top free agents on the open market. The former San Diego Charger is coming off another strong season in which he recorded 78 combined tackles, six passes defended, and half a sack. The 31-year-old is entering his 10th season in the league and has talked openly about wanting to join a contender. He has yet to reach a Super Bowl in his career.
There has been no visit to Oakland confirmed at this time, but the Raiders are looking to bring Weddle in for a visit. Irvin, one of those big free agents alreadly landed by McKenzie, took to Twitter on Thursday to try and convince Weddle to join him in Oakland.
Weddle responded to Irvin through his Twitter account writing, "we shall see." He also congratulated the new Raiders linebacker on his lucrative contract. It will be interesting to see how much interest the free agent safety has in the Raiders, especially considering the fact that he has played his entire career in the AFC West. The Raiders may be moving in the right direction, but still have two talented teams in their division in both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs and Broncos have lost some big pieces since the start of free agency, and Oakland will have to sell to Weddle that they will be contenders next season. There is no doubt that Weddle would be a solid fit on the backend of the Raiders defense, as he would provide a hard-hitting presence, but it will likely come down to contract terms and if the Raiders front office can sell him on the upward trajectory of the franchise.
