The Oakland Raiders could do no wrong to start the 2016 NFL league year. Adding Kelechi Osemele was a great intro. Following that with the addition of Bruce Irvin and then Sean Smith only served to further the ever-changing narrative that the Raiders are now a team to watch out for in the AFC West.
And with the deal that brought Donald Penn back to the fold - Penn, along with Osemele immediately upgrades the blocking in front of franchise quarterback Derek Carr - Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie seems to have put a nice bow on top of his NFL free agency spree.
But McKenzie shouldn't be done yet. And with the New York Jets reportedly shopping Muhammad Wilkerson, the next place McKenzie should look to upgrade is the interior of the Oakland defensive line.
Wilkerson, still just 27, has been in the league for five years. During that time he's missed just 3 regular season games and has amassed 36.5 sacks and 300 tackles. Wilkerson is, no doubt, a coveted player. Jets owner Woody Johnson said as much when speaking to reporters at the NFL's owner's meetings this week, indicating that the former Temple Owl is a guy the Jets want to keep around long-term.
But with the selection of Leonard Williams in last year's first-round and Sheldon Richardson also soon to be in line for a big pay day, there are going to be tough decision ahead for the Jets. So if New York is indeed shopping Wilkerson, McKenzie and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio should be first in line to make a pitch for the versatile veteran.
The Raider seem to have a strong starting unit in their defensive front with Justin Ellis, Dan Williams and Mario Edwards Jr. But questions linger in more ways than one about the group.
Edwards' NFL career was potentially put in jeopardy by a genetic issue with his neck. Despite his strong play last season, depending on him going forward seems an iffy proposition at best for the Raiders, even if Edwards checks out medically, as McKenzie recently indicated he would.
As for Williams, the former Arizona Cardinal played well in 2015 for the black and silver, but has proven incredibly fragile during his NFL career. Add to that his moderate production - 3 career sacks - and it's not hard to see how well an upgrade may serve the entire Raiders defensive unit.
In the end, the Raiders have eight picks in the 2016 NFL Draft to continue upgrading their roster this offseason. But they've also got the cap space - about $18 million - and ammunition to pull off a trade if they so wish.
Wilkerson may not be the piece that puts Oakland over the top next season, but nabbing him and locking him up long-term would certainly continue the culture change that Del Rio and McKenzie have undertaken.
