The start of the Oakland Raiders’ 2014 free-agency period has been interesting to say the least, and it is still quite early yet.
With so much money against the salary cap available for spending, expectations were that the Raiders could be heavily involved with some of the biggest names on the market starting on Tuesday afternoon.
While that wasn’t exactly the case in the first two days of the new league year, there is plenty to be gathered about the team’s strategy moving forward based on whom they’ve signed, almost signed and visited with thus far.
Here are the four things we’ve learned ...
The Oakland Raiders have had 15 different quarterbacks start at least one game since Rich Gannon last played in 2004, and while the team may still have a big need at the position, current Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub isn't the answer.
The past season in Oakland featured three different starting quarterbacks in Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin and Matt Flynn. Flynn is now a free agent after last playing with the Green Bay Packers, while the other two are still on the roster.
As you can see in the table below, neither Pryor or McGloin were particularly good passers last year, although ...
The Oakland Raiders signed Roger Saffold and re-signed Darren McFadden on Day 1 of NFL free agency.
Did the Raiders spend wisely? Should they have spent more money? Does GM Reggie McKenzie still have some moves up his sleeve?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Aaron Nagler discuss the Raiders' strategy in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
In one of the more surprising moves of the first day of free agency, the Oakland Raiders elected to keep running back Darren McFadden in the fold, signing the former top-five draft pick to a one-year and $4 million contract.
For his part, McFadden seemed pleased to maintain his status as a Raider:
From McFadden’s point of view, he likely felt something of an obligation to the team that drafted him. He hinted at such in comments he made after returning from injury late in the 2013 season, via Marcus Thompson III of the Daily Democrat:
It's hard to deal with, but at ...
The Oakland Raiders are still trying to find their way through the start of a much-anticipated offseason. Few expected their second move to be the re-signing of running back Darren McFadden.
As first reported by Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com, the Raiders will sign McFadden to a one-year contract. The deal is for a total of $4 million, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, but Joel Corry of the National Football Post reports that $2.25 million is not likely to be earned incentives and his cap number is just $1.554 million.
It’s a modest amount, but a bit of an odd marriage this early ...
Two years of anticipation has culminated in a lackluster start to free agency for the Oakland Raiders. Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston are signing elsewhere, and their first signing in free agency is former St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Rodger Saffold.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and widely speculated for the last two days, Saffold will sign a five-year deal with the Raiders. The contract is worth $42.5 million over five years with $21 million guaranteed.
It’s an uninspiring start for the Raiders. Saffold is a good player who can play four line positions, but he’ll be paid a lot for ...
Fans of the Oakland Raiders have waited a long time to hear these words: Ladies and gentleman, free agency is officially underway.
Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is in a precarious position as he attempts to rescue this team from the depths of irrelevance. Thankfully, this offseason he'll have an estimated $63.7 million to lure free agents over to the Bay Area.
The quintessential blueprint for a successful offseason starts with bringing in marquee names who can help the Raiders compete from the moment they arrive at training camp. Addressing major positions of need, McKenzie will have to open up his checkbook ...
There are few teams with as many needs as the Oakland Raiders heading into the 2014 free-agency period.
After all, Oakland has suffered through 11 straight non-winning seasons, and 4-12 marks the last two years.
The Raiders are going to need a number of pieces to become competitive in the immediate future, especially with the Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs all coming off of playoff campaigns.
A good place to start is the 2014 free-agency class and the upcoming NFL draft. Oakland has the most cap room in the entire NFL at more than $64 million per Albert Breer ...
The Oakland Raiders are expected to sign Rodger Saffold when free agency opens March 11 at 4 p.m. EDT.
How will Saffold fit in to the Raiders' scheme? What is his best position on the line? Will the Raiders still need to make additions to the offensive line through the draft?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss the future of the Raiders offensive line in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
With more salary cap space to spend than any other NFL team, the Oakland Raiders should be the subject of many rumors leading up to and during the 2014 free agency period.
Thus far, it has become clear that when it comes to leaking information, the new Raiders management regime is no different than the one prior, keeping as quiet as possible ahead of any moves to be made.
Yet with so many changes certain to take place throughout the roster in the coming weeks, the quiet can only last so long.
Although the offseason has not yet gotten exciting for the Raider ...