2014 record: 3-13
1st 2015 NFL Draft pick: No. 4 overall
Key Free Agency Acquisitions: Rodney Hudson, Dan Williams, Curtis Lofton
Turnaround in 2015? No
The Oakland Raiders went a little nuts in free agency, signing ten free agents. That’s a lot and while I don’t want to get too down on them for it, you sometimes worry when you see teams throwing money around.
Then again, they didn’t exactly overspend and they still have the sixth most cap space in the NFL per OvertheCap.com. That’s not for lack of trying, mind you—they pursued some big names, they just couldn’t close the deal.
That’s no help, though and it’s likely a lot of the players they added won’t have a tremendous impact either. The most intriguing name on the list is Trent Richardson, and there’s a reason he’s not listed above in the ‘key acquisitions’ section.
Richardson may think he’s a starter-in-the-making but he hasn’t shown that in several years.
That said, just because the Raiders didn’t hit a grand slam doesn’t mean they didn’t score some runs on a single. The upside of Richardson is there and the cost is low. That’s pretty much how the Raiders planned things since they didn’t land the big guys they wanted.
I think the Raiders get better this year overall, but not quite to where you’d see a huge turnaround. They have their quarterback of the future in Derek Carr but he’s limited in the weapons he has to throw to. They’ve got a decent defense with some young pieces but also some veteran leadership in guys like Justin Tuck.
However they still need some help in the pass rush, and needed an upgrade at defensive end which they failed to get. They still need a No. 1 wide receiver and still need some more depth behind Curtis Lofton, who is replacing Nick Roach. They should also be looking for a long-term replacement for the 33-year-old Donald Penn at left tackle and some depth behind everyone else.
And there is no one player in the draft that will improve things instantly either. This continues to be a rebuild in a tough division.
So I think we’re a year or so away from a significant leap.
Next: Jacksonville Jaguars