Where do we begin when it comes to the Oakland Raiders? The team has more holes than a baseball player's testimony to congress. Everywhere you look you can find room for improvement.
Oakland's sorry group of wide receivers led to a paltry 9.4 yards per completion (third-lowest mark in the NFL) for rookie quarterback Derek Carr. The team's leading pass-rusher was Justin Tuck with just 5.0 sacks. And Oakland running backs ranked 28th in yards before contact (807) due to shoddy run blocking. Basically, wide receiver, pass-rusher and offensive line are three positions that Oakland should take a long look at when free agency begins next week. It's also why ESPN NFL Insider KC Joyner has listed Ndamukong Suh, Mike Iupati and Torrey Smith as Oakland's top targets.
"The Raiders ranked next to last in disrupted dropbacks (75), 30th in sacks (22) and tied for 28th in batted passes (7) last season," Joyner wrote. "Suh's 10.5 disrupted dropbacks ranked third among defensive tackles last year, so he would provide immediate help on this front.
"Iupati is a 'mauler' whose run blocking skills would provide an immediate upgrade here. He would be a superb fit on a Jack Del Rio roster.
"The Silver and Black placed 30th in stretch vertical (passes that travel 20 or more yards) yards per attempt last season (8.4). Smith's 1,074 stretch-vertical receiving yards over the past three seasons ranks 10th among wide receivers. He could be an excellent downfield receiving threat for Oakland."
Free agency can get pretty wonky pretty fast. Oakland may not be a prime destination for players on the open market, but money talks. And the Raiders have a lot of money to talk with this offseason. So how well will they use it?
"Last year, the Raiders had more than $60 million in cap space and did not land a top free agent," ESPN's Bill Williamson wrote. "They opted for several overpriced, aging players, and the result was a team that went 3-13 in 2014. The Raiders could have about $60 million in cap room again this year. While Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie has said the team will try to build through the draft, it has to sign some players to big-dollar contracts because it has so little cap money committed. I'm not sure Oakland will make a Ndamukong Suh-like commitment, even though he would be a great fit. But I expect Oakland will sign, perhaps, a couple top-20 free agent talents."
Based on Joyner and Williamson's thought and predictions, Raiders fans could be looking at a drastically different team next season. If Oakland is able to land multiple impact players in free agency and aid Carr's development as a franchise quarterback, the team could be closer to competing in the AFC West than originally thought. Of course, the Philadelphia Eagles put together a "Dream Team" in free agency and we all know how that turned out...
Free agency will officially open on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
