10 best available free agents to fit Raiders needs

10 best available free agents to fit Raiders needs

It’s Friday, which means the end of the work week. It also means it’s been two work weeks since the free agent market opened for business. The Raiders handled their number one business, which was to land top free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. His addition along with the return of Adam Butler and John Jenkins helped to solidify the definsive interior, but that still leaves them with plenty to do to get this team in good shape headed into the draft.

They have some $28.3 million in cap room with which to try and add some upgrades, competition, and insurance at several position still in need. And there is still some talent out there who could provide what they need.

This is the top ten free agents still on the market who could come in and fill a need position for the Raiders.

Top 5 offensive guard free agent options for Raiders

5 Guards set to hit free agency who could be just what Raiders need

The Raiders need at guard is two-fold. As in they are going to need two of them. With it increasingly appearing as if the Raiders will let center Andre James leave in free agency, that could signal they will finally be moving Dylan Parham to center, leaving both guard spots in need of a new starter.

It’s said to be a strong class along the offensive line, but in the interest of not using all their picks to fill the OL (they need a tackle too), they would do well to try and get a starter in free agency first and possibly an insurance plan as a potential second starter in case the draft doesn’t fall their way.

These are the top five options to fill those roles.

Bears cut two veteran starters for cap purposes who could interest the Lions

Chicago’s loss could be the Lions gain, especially on the offensive line

The Chicago Bears moved on from a couple of high-priced veterans who were entering the final year of their contracts. The Bear’s loss could be an interesting gain for the Detroit Lions.

Detroit’s NFC North rivals dumped safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair this week. The moves saved the Bears over $21 million in cap room for the 2024 season while adding just over $9 million in dead cap. Both were longtime starters and pretty good ones at that.

Jackson was once the highest-paid safety in the NFL, but he’s missed five games in each of the last two seasons and isn’t the All-Pro he was half a decade ago anymore. The 30-year-old can play any safety spot.

Whitehair is the more intriguing option for Detroit. The 31-year-old has over 100 starts between guard and center. His days as an upper-level starter are likely done, but for a team like Detroit that desperately needs interior OL depth, Whitehair would make a valuable veteran addition.

How Eddie Jackson, Cody Whitehair releases impact Bears’ salary cap in 2024

The Bears have released Eddie Jackson and Cody Whitehair. Here’s how it impacts the Bears’ salary cap in 2024.

The Chicago Bears have released safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, who become the first salary cap casualties of the offseason for general manager Ryan Poles.

Jackson and Whitehair were among the longest-tenured Bears players on the roster. But the moves don’t necessarily come as a surprise considering their massive salary cap hits for the 2024 season ($18.14 million and $13.25 million, respectively).

So how do those cuts impact Chicago’s salary cap for the 2024 season?

The Bears cleared up $21.71 million in salary cap space with Jackson and Whitehair’s releases ($12.56 million for Jackson; $9.15 million for Whitehair, per Over The Cap).

Chicago now have $67 million in available cap space for the 2024 season — third most in the league, per OTC — with free agency just around the corner.

Jackson, a fourth-round pick by the Bears in 2017, totaled 459 tackles, 15 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 14 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks in seven seasons with Chicago. He also scored six defensive touchdowns, which is tied for the third-most in franchise history.

Whitehair, a second-round pick by the Bears in 2016, appeared in 124 games, including 118 starts, in eight seasons with Chicago. He spent his first three years at center before moving back to his natural guard position. Whitehair was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018.

Safety is expected to be a top priority this offseason for the Bears after Jackson’s release. They’ll look to free agency and/or the NFL draft to find a running mate for starter Jaquan Brisker. The interior offensive line will also be a focal point following Chicago’s struggles to find a reliable starting center.

Bears release Eddie Jackson, Cody Whitehair

The Bears have released safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, freeing up a good amount of salary cap space.

The Chicago Bears have released safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair, the team announced Thursday. Jackson and Whitehair were the team’s longest-tenured players.

The moves don’t come as a surprise considering both Jackson and Whitehair’s substantial cap hits of $18.14 million and $13.25 million, respectively.

The Bears freed up $21.71 million in salary cap space with the two moves. Jackson’s release cleared up $12.56 million with Whitehair’s release freeing up $9.15 million, per Over The Cap.

Jackson was drafted by Chicago in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft, where he quickly established himself as a playmaker. Jackson earned Pro Bowl honors in 2018 and 2019 and was first-team All-Pro in 2018. In seven seasons with the Bears, Jackson totaled 459 tackles, 15 interceptions, 44 pass breakups, 10 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 14 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 sacks. He also scored six defensive touchdowns, which is tied for the third-most in franchise history.

Whitehair was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft, where he became a mainstay along the interior offensive line. Whitehair appeared in 124 games, including 118 starts, in eight seasons with Chicago. He spent his first three years at center before moving back to his natural guard position. Whitehair was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018.

Chicago was originally slated to have around $47 million in available cap space before free agency. Now, the Bears are projected to have $67 million in cap space — the third most in the NFL, per OTC — which gives them plenty to work with as they continue to build their roster.

Bears C Lucas Patrick now questionable for Sunday’s game vs. Chargers

The Bears center is dealing with a lower back injury that could keep him out of Sunday night’s game.

The Chicago Bears could be without their starting center for their prime-time matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. The team announced center Lucas Patrick is now questionable for the game with a lower back injury. Patrick was not on any injury report this week, meaning it’s something that popped up within the last day.

Patrick started the season at center but has moved in and out of the lineup in recent weeks. He made his return to the position last week in the Bears’ 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

If Patrick is unable to play, the Bears would have a decision to make. They could move left guard Cody Whitehair back to center, where he struggled with inconsistent snaps the last time he lined up there a few weeks ago. The Bears could also turn to second-year center Doug Kramer, who played in his first NFL game last week after injuries have kept him sidelined for the last year and a half. Or veteran Dan Feeney could be an option if he’s able to play. Feeney, who is dealing with a knee injury, is also listed as questionable.

Patrick’s status will be determined later in the day, but regardless, the news is not ideal for the Bears and rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, who will make his second career start.

What the Bears’ offensive line is expected to look like vs. Raiders

With Nate Davis sidelined and Cody Whitehair’s snapping struggles, what can we expect the Bears offensive line to look like vs. Raiders?

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The Chicago Bears are going to have yet another starting offensive line combination — and we’re only in Week 7.

With right guard Nate Davis sidelined with an ankle injury and center Cody Whitehair’s struggles with snaps, there was bound to be some change ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders

So what can we expect the starting offensive line to look like Sunday?

According to The Athletic‘s Adam Jahns, Whitehair will in fact be in the lineup, and there’s plenty of shuffling along the interior. The tackle situation remains the same with Larry Borom at left tackle (in place of an injured Braxton Jones) and Darnell Wright at right tackle.

But the interior is where things get interesting: Lucas Patrick will be at center with Whitehair at left guard and Teven Jenkins moving to right guard as a result.

At this point, it’s become clear that Whitehair could be on his way out after this season. He’s struggled — both at left guard and center — and general manager Ryan Poles needs to shore up multiple positions along the offensive line this offseason.

But, for whatever reason, head coach Matt Eberflus is electing not to stick with benching Whitehair — which is exactly what he did last Sunday after his snapping issues. You’d think Chicago would like to get a look at second-year pro Ja’Tyre Carter, who’s shown promise at right guard, and not force Jenkins to move from his left guard spot just to make room for Whitehair.

This lineup could certainly change ahead of Sunday’s kickoff against the Raiders. But, at least right now, it doesn’t seem ideal.

Bears OL Cody Whitehair addresses snapping issues after apparent benching

Cody Whitehair’s snapping was an issue in the Bears’ Week 6 loss to the Vikings. The eight-year veteran addressed those struggles.

Bears offensive lineman Cody Whitehair struggled snapping the ball in last Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. It even got to the point where he was seemingly benched in favor of Lucas Patrick, who had started the previous five games at center this season.

Whitehair addressed his snapping issues Wednesday at Halas Hall, where he was asked about whether he just had the yips. But the eight-year veteran took ownership and vowed to keep working on it.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Whitehair said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I’ve just gotta keep working on it and make sure I master that and make sure it’s not an issue.”

It’s been a rough start to the season for Whitehair, where his struggles snapping the ball have just been the tip of the iceberg. Whitehair has allowed 12 pressures, four hits and two sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Whitehair understands that he needs to clean some things up.

“I take a lot of pride in my work,” he said. “Any time things aren’t going your way, you’ve gotta dive in and dissect where you’re going wrong. That’s what I’m in right now. Obviously looking at tape and seeing how I can get better and trying to perfect it.”

Head coach Matt Eberflus was asked about whether Whitehair’s snapping issues were evident in practice or whether they were just an issue during games.

“It’s been a little bit during practice some, but again, that’s always an issue when you work through and change positions,” Eberflus said. “I think that when you have that, but again, it’s not been like been glaring, you know. There has been some of it. But again, we corrected it and made those adjustments. Again, it’s got to be better than what it was on Sunday.”

Interesting enough, Lucas Patrick, Dan Feeney and Doug Kramer took snaps at center during individual drills during Wednesday’s practice, according to various media in attendance. Whitehair did not.

That could be an indication that Whitehair will be moved to guard, which makes sense given the injury to right guard Nate Davis. It would likely be Whitehair and Teven Jenkins at guard and Patrick at center Sunday against the Raiders.

“I’m gonna do whatever my team needs, whether that be guard, whether that be center,” Whitehair said. “Like I said, I’m a team-first guy, and I’ll do whatever they ask.”

8 takeaways from the Bears’ familiar loss to the Vikings

The Bears are who we thought they were after the 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Here were our takeaways from the game.

It’s back to reality for the 2023 Chicago Bears. After an exciting victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 5, the Bears followed it up with a stinker on the lakefront, losing 19-13 to the Minnesota Vikings to fall to 1-5.

Chicago had 10 days to prepare for their divisional opponent, but apparently that wasn’t enough time to recognize Minnesota’s numerous blitz packages that thwarted the offense on the first play from scrimmage. Quarterback Justin Fields had a rough outing, completing just 6-of-10 passes for 58 yards and an interception before exiting the game with a dislocated thumb.

Backup undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent entered in relief and didn’t fare much better, committing two turnovers that thwarted any sort of comeback. The offense totaled just 275 yards and failed to capitalize when they had excellent field position, which they had often thanks to a strong defensive performance.

The Bears defense contained the Vikings offense for much of the day. Minnesota scored 12 offensive points, totaled 220 yards, and converted just 2-of-13 third-down conversions. With a (mostly) healthy secondary back and improved play from the linebackers, the defense played well enough for the team to win. That wasn’t the case, though, and now the Bears have to navigate an uncertain immediate future with key injuries sidelining players such as Fields.

Here were our takeaways from Sunday’s all-too-familiar loss.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus explained what went into change at center vs. Vikings

Lucas Patrick replaced Cody Whitehair at center in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 19-13 loss to the Vikings. Matt Eberflus explained why:

The Chicago Bears offensive line had a disastrous outing against the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday’s 19-13 loss on Sunday. And there was one player in particular who noticeably struggled: center Cody Whitehair.

Whitehair struggled with snaps throughout the game, but he was replaced by Lucas Patrick in the fourth quarter. The assumption was the move was made based on performance, and this wasn’t the first time Whitehair had struggled with snaps — even last week when he stepped up in place of an injured Patrick.

Eberflus explained what went into the decision to replace Whitehair with Patrick at the end of the game, especially as it related to undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, who replaced injured starter Justin Fields.

“Lucas obviously was going through concussion protocol during the week and when Justin went out and we had Tyson in there we thought it was best for our team to have the guy that had more experience in there playing center,” Eberflus said. “That’s that position that we have that Lucas has played for a long time. He has a lot of experience in there. We thought that would settle Bagent down little bit.”

Sure. But it also wasn’t because Whitehair was struggling with snaps throughout the game?

“No. It was just more about settling down and putting the guy that had more experience at center,” Eberflus said. “We feel good about both guys. And obviously we’ve switched guys around during the course of the year, guard, center. We are going to have to continue to do that based on where Nate (Davis) is. We’ll see. But we like our flexibility in there.”

With right guard Nate Davis sidelined with an ankle injury, there will be more shuffling along the offensive line heading into Week 7. The Bears could certainly elect to slide Patrick into that right guard spot and roll with Whitehair at center.