Tag: Raiders free agents

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.

9 Raiders free agents remain unsigned after first week

One week later and 9 Raiders free agents still unemployed

A great many departing Raiders found new homes over the past week. Some were re-signed to the team as well. You can all the team’s additions, retentions, and subtractions right here in our free agency tracker.

But not all of those who were a member of the Raiders a week ago have found a landing spot yet. Specifically these nine.

5 Raiders free agents they should prioritize re-signing

5 Raiders free agents they should prioritize re-signing

All told, the Raiders have 17 players who are headed for free agency in March. They will likely bring back a few of them. Some because they legitimately don’t want to lose them. Others because it’s an easy transaction to give them another shot at winning a spot for next season.

Inevitably there will be players they want back who will leave. But not because they didn’t try. This is about those players they should put in the effort to bring back.

7 recently cut or waived players Raiders should consider adding

Still some talent out there to be had from roster cuts. Here are 7 of them the Raiders should consider adding.

There are always a few players that teams cut who instantly stun a lot of people. Many of those players are talented enough or fit another team’s need so well, that they are scooped up quickly or claimed off waivers. But not all of them.

Some players still slip through and either remain unsigned or join a team’s practice squad.

Either way, what many refer to as the “final 53-man roster” is anything but final. A better term is “initial 53” because more moves inevitably occur afterward.

Sometimes those moves are a team seeing a player or players become available that they like better than those they kept initially. Other moves include injured players who the team expects to have back in short order, but in order to be added to the IR Designated for Return list, those players must be on the roster after the initial cuts are made.

Now that the dust has settled from the cuts, signings, and claims, I have compiled a list of those players still out there who the Raiders should consider adding this week as they prepare for the season opener.

Raiders bring back TE Jacob Hollister

Raiders have re-signed TE Jacob Hollister who spent part of last season with the team.

Wednesday the Raiders made what is tantamount to their corresponding move after the release of tight end OJ Howard. They brought back Jacob Hollister.

The veteran tight end spent last offseason and training camp with the Raiders before landing on injured reserve. He was later released and signed with the Vikings before returning to the Raiders midway through the season. He would return to Las Vegas midway through last season, appearing in three games.

Josh McDaniels knows Hollister from New England where Hollister’s career began in 2017 and he would spend two seasons with the Patriots. Clearly McDaniels liked what Hollister brings to the table more than what he saw from Howard over the past few months.

In six NFL seasons, Hollister has 83 career catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns.

Raiders work out former Pro Bowl LB Jaylon Smith

More than a week into training camp and the Raiders are finally looking into making some moves at linebacker

Over a week into training camp and the Raiders are finally looking into making some moves at linebacker. Tuesday it was signing former Chiefs LB Darius Harris. Wednesday they were back at it, working out Jaylon Smith.

Smith was a second round pick by the Cowboys in the 2017 draft. The 28-year-old was a full time starter for four seasons in Dallas, including making the Pro Bowl in 2019.

Smith later signed with the Giants, appearing in four games with two starts under Patrick Graham who is now the DC with the Raiders.

Last season, Smith appeared in 13 games with the Giants, starting 11 and putting up 88 combined tackles (46 solo), three for a loss.

Currently the Raiders top two linebackers are Divine Deablo and Robert Spillane. After that there is a bunch of roster fringe guys hoping their special teams work can earn them a spot on the team. So, yeah, working out a few free agents is a good idea.

Raiders signing former Chiefs LB Darius Harris

Raiders are signing former Chiefs LB Darius Harris

Do you remember last season when the Raiders faced the Chiefs and a little known linebacker named Darius Harris put up a combined 10 tackles and a sack against the Raiders? It seems Josh McDaniels remembers. And it surely played in a hand in the Raiders decision to sign the free agent linebacker.

That was a career game for Harris in just his fifth career start.

Harris went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2020. He appeared in just 11 games over his first two seasons in Kansas City. Then last season, he would appear in all 17 games, starting four of them.

His eight solo tackles were the most in his career while his 10 combined tackles was tied for the second most. And that sack was the first of his career.

The Raiders are going to find out if that was the start of bigger things for Harris who prior to last season did most of his work on special teams.

Raiders add CB Marcus Peters on one-year deal

Marcus Peters is a Raider

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It’s done. After his second visit with the Raiders this offseason, the team has signed Marcus Peters to a one-year deal. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the news Monday.

The deal is a reported $3 million with a max of $5 million with incentives according to Adam Caplan.

The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro joins the Raiders just prior to the start of training camp. Raiders veteran players report to the team’s facility for camp Tuesday.

Peters brings loads of talent and experience to a cornerback room severely lacking in that area. The veteran has notched 32 interceptions and 92 pass breakups over seven NFL seasons.

He immediately steps into a starting outside cornerback job with the Raiders. With Nate Hobbs doing his best work in the slot, the only question now is who the other outside starter will be.

Currently the top contenders for the job are newcomers Duke Shelley, Brandon Facyson, and David Long Jr.

The Raiders had also hosted veteran cornerback Troy Hill for a visit Monday, though no deal appears imminent.

Raiders to again host free agent CB Marcus Peters ahead of training camp

Marcus Peters is coming back to Vegas for another look see. And just ahead of training camp.

Marcus Peters is just 30 years of age. He still wants to play. And has plenty left in the tank to do so if a team in interested. The Raiders appear to be interested.

How interested? Well, according to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are about to host the former All Pro for the second time this offseason. This time just before the start of training camp.

The interest between the two sides here makes considerable sense. And the longer Peters remained a free agent, the more sense it made.

 

The Raiders have done little to upgrade their cornerback position this offseason. They let Rock Ya-Sin leave and signed several spot starter cornerbacks including Brandon Facyson, Duke Shelley, and David Long Jr. to compete with incumbent depth guys Tyler Hall, Sam Webb, and Amik Robertson.

Peters is the top free agent cornerback still out there. At some point, the Raiders need at the position and Peters’s need to continue his career were going to meet.

Raiders sign former Patriots WR Kristian Wilkerson, cut WR Tyler Johnson

Another ex-Patriot has entered the building for the Raiders

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There’s usually a roster more or two that happens following rookie camp. Mainly because along with the drafted and undrafted rookies the team added, they also have tryouts. Those tryouts can include veterans and undrafted players alike.

This roster move was swapping out a couple of players who have been on NFL rosters the pasts few years. And, of course, a former Patriots player.

Monday the Raiders announced they have signed WR Kristian Wilkerson who spent the past three years in New England with the Patriots. In that time, he has appeared in four games with one start, catching four passes for 42 yards and two touchdowns. That’s right, he had four catches and two of them were for touchdowns.

It took former Patriots and current Raiders teammate Jakobi Meyers three seasons to notch two touchdown catches as well…on 168 catches.

As it happens Tyler Johnson also has two touchdown catches in three seasons…on 48 catches.