The Oakland Raiders have the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.Does the Raiders' signing of Michael Crabtree, which they announced Monday, mean they will pass on a wide receiver at No. 4? Who are they targeting with that pick?Watch as Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole discusses the Raiders' draft strategy in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
The critics came out in droves.
They slammed Billy Beane for dismantling a playoff team during the last offseason, and they questioned his commitment to keeping a winning team on the field since he jettisoned players like Josh Donaldson, Jeff Samardzija, Derek Norris and Brandon Moss for lesser returns. They even retroactively bashed his trading of Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester.
All of those players were All-Stars. Without them, the detractors cried, the Oakland A's were destined to find themselves near the bottom of the American League West and out of the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Except the moves actually ...
With the NFL draft only a few weeks away and free agency over a month old, the pickings have gotten a little slim as far as available veterans are concerned.
However, the Oakland Raiders went sifting through the scratch-and-dent bin Monday, and the result may wind up being one of the better values of free agency with Michael Crabtree, who spent the first six years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
ESPN reported it's a one-year, $3 million deal, with $2 million in incentives.
It's the conclusion of a tumultuous few weeks for the former top-10 pick. After all, not too long ago, Bleacher Report's ...
A ton of buzz surrounds the Oakland Raiders No. 4 overall pick, especially with the possibility of trading out of the spot. However, there are scenarios that should make Oakland Raiders fans cringe and others that’ll help them envision a foreseeable playoff push.
When examining the selections for the fourth overall pick, the names Leonard Williams, Amari Cooper and Kevin White come to mind, but what’s best for the Raiders? What’s the worst that could possibly happen?
We’ll examine some of these outcomes focusing on the top three picks of the draft. These scenarios have been weighed based on a player’s immediate ...
The Oakland Raiders have the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
Who are the Raiders targeting with that fourth pick? Should they draft a wide receiver?
Watch as Stephen Nelson and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss the Raiders' draft strategy in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
If you’ve been paying the slightest bit of attention to general manager Reggie McKenzie’s offseason moves, his intentions have been clear: Win in the trenches, build a solid defense and do it at a bargain rate.
McKenzie doesn’t receive enough credit for working the cap room in his favor, and I’m not referring to the $50-plus million the Oakland Raiders had stashed in the offseason.
The Raiders GM was harshly criticized for bringing in over-the-hill talent last year. To his credit, those players served a great purpose in the locker room for the impact rookies and second-year players on the roster. Secondly, ...
The Oakland Raiders have several needs to address in the 2015 NFL draft.
What needs do the Raiders have heading into the draft? Who is the top guy on the Raiders' big board?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Scott Bair of CSN Bay Area discuss the Raiders' draft big board in the video above.Read more Oakland Raiders news on BleacherReport.com
Even after an offseason spending spree, the Oakland Raiders have a glut of cap space. If they don't use it, they also don't get any benefit from it until 2016 or beyond. A team that hasn't won more than four games in three years shouldn't be saving much for the future.
As the NFL calendar inches toward the draft, the Raiders have a big opportunity to sign impact role players with their reserves. Most other teams are either cap-strapped, waiting for the May 12 deadline so free agents don't count in the compensatory picks formula or waiting until after the draft ...
As the draft draws nearer, the options for the Oakland Raiders' fourth overall pick are becoming clearer. Oakland addressed several needs through free agency, but there are still some glaring needs on the roster. The best way to address them now is through the draft.
When it comes to predicting who the Raiders should take with the fourth overall pick, there's a clear theme evident across all the mock drafts: Oakland should either take a wide receiver or a defensive lineman.
Of course, there's always the possibility that the team goes in a completely different direction. There's also the possibility that the Raiders ...
The offseason continues as NFL teams begin workouts and tie up some loose ends before the draft. The Oakland Raiders covered a lot of bases but also had some missteps along the way.
The good news? Needs were fulfilled with quality players.
The bad news? There were better fits available. There’s also one roster move general manager Reggie McKenzie has to make, preferably before the season is underway.
This may sound like nitpicking, but in the NFL you have to explore all avenues to achieve the only goal that matters, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Here are some avenues Oakland decided to stray away ...