By way of both the 2014 NFL Draft and free agency, the Oakland Raiders have a busy and important offseason ahead of them.
General manager Reggie McKenzie will need to put together a team that sees significant improvement over that of the past two seasons, and he finally has the resources at his disposal to make it happen.
While the influx in salary cap space to be spent in free agency will get the majority of the attention, it is how McKenzie will fair in this year’s draft that will set the foundation for the roster for years to come.
The Raiders hold ...
The Oakland Raiders have major questions at quarterback this offseason.
Will they select a quarterback early in the draft? Could a free agent like Josh Freeman be the starter next season? Will Terrelle Pryor even have a spot on the roster?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and CSN Bay Area's Scott Bair discuss the future of the Raiders QB position in the video above. Let us know who you think should be starting in Oakland next season in the comments below.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
If the Oakland Raiders decide to use the franchise tag, they can prevent either left tackle Jared Veldheer or defensive end Lamarr Houston from hitting the market on March 11. However, there is a price to pay for preventing a player from legitimately shopping their services to the other 31 teams.
The Raiders have to tender a one-year contract to Veldheer worth approximately $11 million or a one-year contract to Houston at nearly $13 million by Monday, March 3—about a week before the start of free agency. No one expects Veldheer and Houston to get that much on the open market, ...
Both free agency and the NFL draft are certain to be busy and important times for the Oakland Raiders to add talent this offseason, but the trade market can be a useful tool as well.
Trades in the NFL are far less common than they are in many other professional sports, but if a team is able to acquire an established veteran player they covet for a reasonable price, it can be extremely valuable.
While the Raiders’ front office will value their draft selections highly, any opportunity to fill a need by trade in exchange for a mid- to late-round selection should ...
Perhaps, the best thing about the Oakland A's spring training from a fan's perspective is watching to see who unexpectedly impresses.
In my spring training preview, I listed a few guys who could be the next breakout candidates, including Sonny Gray and Dan Otero. Specifically, I highlighted Josh Donaldson's 2012 campaign in which he catapulted from third- or fourth-string catcher to starting third baseman. Then, in 2013, with much competition for second base, Eric Sogard came out victorious.
Let's take another look.
Motivation played a large role in Donaldson and Sogard's cases. Each were "underdogs" if you will, fighting to be the hands-down ...
Oakland Athletics first baseman Brandon Moss is literally the big elephant in the room.
In his breakthrough season in 2013, Moss ranked among Major League Baseball's best in every power category there is, forcing us to query as to whether or not he is a one-year wonder. If he does show us a significant decline in statistical production in 2014, it will be one of the greatest year-to-year wanes we have seen for some time.
There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of Moss' production at the plate. The 30-year-old slugger amassed more than 500 plate appearances for the first time ...
The Oakland Raiders have a lot of money to spend, but they also have many needs. The Raiders need an infusion of talent at just about every position—likely even more than $60 million in salary cap space can buy.
While the Raider Nation has dreams about high-profile free agents, the Raiders have a lot of work to do just to put together an NFL-caliber roster. When free agency opens up March 11, the Raiders may not be targeting a few players at the top of the market, but dozens of players who will be more affordable.
Free agency is still about a ...
The Oakland Raiders have the most salary-cap room in the league heading into free agency. They have big needs at multiple positions and will look to add several veterans this offseason.
How will they spend their money? Will they prioritize re-signing their own free agents like Darren McFadden and Lamarr Houston? Which players will they look to snag off the open market?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and San Francisco Chronicle's Vic Tafur discuss the Raiders' offseason plans in the video above. Let us know how you think the team should use its cap space in the comments below!Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
With more available salary cap space than any other NFL team, the Oakland Raiders could easily turn to free agency to fill their roster needs before the draft.
History shows that free agency is no way to build a franchise, but the Raiders need to add talent in short order, and doing so effectively could allow them to stick to their “best player available” draft strategy.
While there are no franchise quarterbacks to be found on the open market, the Raiders are fortunate to have their salary cap influx take effect in an offseason set to be quite deep at several other ...
The Oakland Raiders have a need at wide receiver as free agency approaches.
Who should they target?
NFL analyst Aaron Nagler is here to break down who your team should go after.
Check out the video above to see who the Raiders are pursuing and let us know in the comments below who you want them to target.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com