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Posted: 01/01/2013 5:13 PM
2013 Raiders Wish List - Draft/Free Agency
Here's what I'd like to see happen..
First, cut the dead weight.. Rich Seymour is apparently gone anyway according to the article about 2013 season being voided.. Al overpaid for his talents on the downside of his career and that trade didnt work out for the better.. Release Tommy Kelly.. Dude has no discipline, laughs when penalties are called on him.. IDK all the breakdowns but if all the guaranteed money of his deal is paid, there wouldnt be a cap hit to let him go right? Looks like he's due 6.5 mil next year.. Rather see that spent towards keeping Wheeler.. Rolando McClain, who I know we all had high hopes for, is due 4 mil next year and was as good as gone regardless of what he made after the spat with DA.. Ain't no one trading anything worth value for a malcontent like him.. As much as I like Shane Lechler, he'll also be on the way out as his 3.8 mil in 2013 could be better used elsewhere and we have Marquette King as his replacement.
Next, restructure Carson Palmer and Darrius Heyward-Bey.. CP3 is due 13 mil next year and DHB is due 5.3 mil.. If on the open market, I doubt either see's that much so it's probably in their best interest to be team players.. I'm willing to give Palmer another chance in more of a vertical passing attack similar to last year.. It was evident that's what DHB and DMoore excelled in under Hue Jackson's play calling as well.. If we start out 2-6 or something shitty, hand the keys over to Pryor and move on.. Terelle would then be able to show what he has for the next 8 games and if he does well, he's under contract for 700k in 2014.. I believe with a more modern scheme and power blocking most likely to be used, the running game will be more effective as defenses will have to play more honest.. I would also try to get Sebastian Janikowski to restructure his 2013 salary of 3.8 mil and extend his deal 2-3 years.
Out of our unrestricted free agents, those that should be brought back are Phillip Wheeler(long term/franchise tag worst case),Desmond Bryant(replaces Seymour as starter), Khalif Barnes(serviceable RT on the cheap), Omar Gaither(depth/spot starter), Matt Giordarno(depth/spot starter), Brandon Myers(reliable pass catcher) and Matt Shaughnessey(starter, move to LDE), Andre Carter(cheap vet, depth), Mike Goodson(#2 back, needs more touches) and Mike Mitchell(depth, starting FS?).. None of these guys should be too expensive or hard to retain.
Of our restricted/exclusive rights free agents, those that should be resigned are Phillip Adams, who I believe is our only restricted free agent, and I would tender contracts to linebacker Kaelin Burnett, wide receiver Duke Calhoun, cornerback Coye Francies, tackle Zach Hurd, center/guard Alex Parsons, running back Jeremy Stewart and cornerback Brandian Ross.
The defense is what needs to be built.. As far as outside free agent options, if their is enough money saved from releases and restructures, our biggest need in my opinion is a pass rushing DE.. I would try to strike quick and land DE Michael Johnson from Cincinnati. He'll be 26 in February, is coming off a career high 11.5 sacks and at 6'7", 270, would make a nice book-end to Matt Shaughnessey.. My thought is to have Lamar Houston kick inside to DT to form a rotation with Desmond Bryant, Christo Bilukidi, and a FA like Glenn Dorsey or Terrance Knighton, both young and coming off sub par seasons so they may be looking at 1 year deals to re-establish value next offseason.. With Michael Johnson(RDE) and Shaughnessey(LDE) at DE, and Andre Carter and Jack Crawford as depth, I would think the position is fine heading into the draft.. At LB, as I stated above, Wheeler would be resigned and at worst, tagged at a 1 yr deal.. Gaither is resigned as cheap depth, and Burris comes back to hopefully build off a decent rookie season.. Keenan Clayton is under contract for 575k as depth/special teams, as is Kaelin Burnett.. CB, if Huff is kept there contrary to McKenzie saying he's a safety, isn't as big of a need.. I think Adams, Ross and Chekwa can compete for the #2 role with a draft pick somewhere in the Round 3-7 range.. Green Bay always did a nice job of finding late round/undrafted DB's and it working out... Safety, with Branch and Mitchell/Giordano(if both resigned), is similar to CB where we could use more depth.. While I would like to see an Ed Reed or Dashon Goldson, or even a Jarius Byrd or Louis Delmas, I don't think we have the money to throw around for another couple years..
I'm content with the offense, I don't feel as if it needs any upgrades to QB, WR, RB or TE, granted Goodson and Myers are resigned.. I believe going back to the style of offense ran in 2010-2011 will make us a better threat, sustain more drives and keep our defense off the field for longer periods of time.. With Ford coming back and hopefully healthy for 2013, along with the continued development of Rod Streater and Juron Criner, the depth is there.. I think DHB and Moore trend back towards prior year levels and are more motivated to succeed. The offensive line should be Veldeer, Bergstrom, Wiz, Brisiel and Barnes, unless we can steal another Bengal and sign Andre Smith to play RT, but once again, I just don't know what our cap situation will be prior to free agency.. RB is not a need in FA if Goodson is resigned and with McFadden going into the offseason without any injury concern and Stewart showing he was a capable backup, along with Taiwan Jones still on the roster and Marcel Reese showing he can play RB in a pinch..
So going into the draft, with the pieces in place that I suggested as resignings and FA acquisitions, here's my take..
With our first pick, I'm taking Manti Te'o.. He may be a bit of a reach, and unfortunately we don't pick in the 8-10 range.. But if this kid is the next Junior Seau or Ray Lewis, someone that is a leader and makes guys around him play at a higher level, then I don't want to miss out on him.. I do like Damontre Moore, Werner, Jones and Star, but if we can sign Michael Johnson as our pass rushing DE and lock up Wheeler at OLB, with Burris manning the other OLB spot, and McClain being jettisoned, I just think it makes too much sense to pick Te'o... This guy is the heart and soul we need, the QB on defense Allen is talking about!
After that, we don't pick again until the 3rd round barring any trades.. I believe that pick would be #67 overall, which I would probably take Kenjon Barner... With McFadden only under contract thru 2013, we need insurance, and he could battle with Goodson to be the primary backup.. Taiwan Jones could be converted to CB, or released if they feel he's too much of a liability with ball security.. Also Barner gives the new OC another playmaker to use at his disposal..
In the 4th round, I would take the best DT on the board, possibly Akeem Spence from Illinois or Everett Dawkins from Florida St.. We don't have a 5th round pick due to the Curry trade and in the 6th round, I would take the best OT/OG prospect left.. In the 7th round, let McKenzie do what he does best and get the best DB available, whether it's at CB or S, we just need depth.. I'm not familiar enough with the rankings outside of the top 100 or so to know who justifies being picked late in the draft...
Next year, barring any trades, we will have a full 7 rounds of picks.. With that draft, we should be able to patch up any glaring holes and with the development of the 2012 and 2013 draft picks, we should be able to contend on a yearly basis.
Last edited 01/01/2013 6:04 PM by RaiDerKr3w2007
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Posted: 01/01/2013 6:33 PM
Re: 2013 Raiders Wish List - Draft/Free Agency
53 Man Roster
Offense
QB - Carson Palmer, Terrelle Pryor, FA..
RB - Darren McFadden, Mike Goodson, Kenjon Barner, Taiwan Jones/Jeremy Stewart
FB - Marcel Reese, Jamize Olawale
WR - Darrius Heyward-Bey, Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, Jacoby Ford, Juron Criner
TE - Brandon Meyers, David Ausberry, Richard Gordon
OL - Jared Veldeer, Tony Bergstrom, Stefen Wizneiwski, Mike Brisiel, Khalif Barnes, Lucas Nix, Alex Parsons, Willie Smith and Zach Hurd/FA/Draft pick
Defense
LB - Manti Te'o, Phillip Wheeler, Miles Burris, Omar Gaither, Keenan Clayton, Kaelin Burnett
DE - Michael Johnson, Matt Shaughnessey, Andre Carter, Jack Crawford, Dave Tollefson
DT - Lamarr Houston, Desmond Bryant, Christo Bilukidi and FA/Draft Pick
CB - Michael Huff, Phillip Adams, Brandian Ross, Chimdi Chekwa and Coye Francies/FA/Draft pick
S - Tyvon Branch, Mike Mitchell, Matt Giordano and FA/Draft Pick
Special Teams
K - Sebastian Janikowski
P - Marquette King
LS - Jon Condo
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Posted: 01/02/2013 5:45 AM
RE: 2013 Raiders Wish List - Draft/Free Agency
Seems pretty solid. I'd add a few points. For the record, I think our needs in order are (assuming guys get released): CB, DT, pass rusher, LB, RT, LG, P, QB, WR, backup RB.
1. Offense- I think we're good at the skill positions. Hopefully Myers doesn't cost too much after breaking out last year. I wouldn't mind a big RB like we had with Bush, since all 3 of our RB now have similar body types and skillsets. If Reece doesn't fill the role of big back, Jackie Battle who we saw last weekend would be a decent cheap option for a backup RB. Then we can let Goodson go. I'm fine with our WR and QB situation, we can't fix everything this offseason. Replacing Knapp will go a long way if we can regain what our run game was. We still have most of the pieces. Barnes is OK but it would be nice to upgrade here. Carlisle has a way of sticking around so I'll believe he's gone when I see him released.
2. Front 7- Bryant can replace Kelly and Seymour for a fraction of the price. Either Bilukidi, a cheap veteran, or a draft pick can fill the other spot. Justin Bannan from the Donks would be a solid pickup, and like Jammer he's getting older so we may be able to outbid them. Re-signing Andre Carter is a must IMO, that guy was one of the few bright spots for us on D, and Shaughnessy should be back too. At the LB spots, Wheeler should be brought back, Gaither would be fine too. If we can draft a guy like Teo, great, but I'd focus on the DT and CB spots for outside free agents.
3. CB- If we are going to compete, we need to do something about this position. We can't just assume that Reggie found guys in GB so he will here too. Those guys had an elite CB on the other side, we don't have anyone even 10% of Charles Woodson's caliber on the roster. To fix that, I'd target Quentin Jammer as a solid veteran CB that can come in and take the lead role. He's getting older so the Chargers won't offer him as much as if he had these skills at age 27. I think we can get 3 good years out of him if we can steal him from our division rivals. I'm not looking for a Pro Bowler, just someone to not play terribly until we can get a good prospect in the draft. If we want to play Huff, Adams, or a draft pick at the other spot, it won't be as horrendous. If we want to bring in another veteran, we can try that too. I'm OK with one question mark at CB, but not for both starters.
4. Special Teams- Hurts to lose Lechler, as often as we punt. He's 36 but as a punter he could still be good for another 6 or 7 years. I'd do what I can to keep him. ST sucked this year but we changed our coach, and if Ford is healthy, that should give our return game a boost.
5. Draft- I don't know the college guys. But in the 1st round, we should swing for the fences, I don't care about the position. Grab the guy who's most likely to be a dominant player 2 years from now. Rounds 3-5, grab talented guys at positions of need unless someone falls in our laps. CB, RT, LB, DT, and you can never have enough pass rushers. Finally in rounds 6, 7, and after the draft, we can target projects, special teams studs (including a decent replacement for Lechler if we let him go), and depth. Hopefully Reggie brings in a gem or two. Wish we kept Stevie Brown around. One more point about the draft, if we really want to hit the reset button we can cut Palmer, shoot for the 1st overall pick, and draft a franchise QB. In that case I would still approach the draft the same way, and maybe not worry about any veterans over 30 in free agency.
6. Trades- I would only trade down in the draft if we get an amazing offer, or we are sure the guy we want is still gonna be around at 5 or 6. As for the veterans, nobody's gonna give us anything for Seymour, Kelly, or McClain when it's clear we don't want them. McFadden could get us a mid-round pick but he's more valuable to us than the pick. No team is gonna cough up a 1st for him, especially after another injured season. I'd keep my eye out for any available veterans on draft day, but other than that I don't see any big deals getting done.
7. Coaches- I dunno, any ideas? I doubt we'll get a top guy like Norv.
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