As the regular season winds down, some fans are beginning to look ahead to 2017. At least five NFL teams have already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, with more joining the ranks every day. While it looks like the Oakland Raiders will have a crack at the post-season, here’s a list of all the Raiders that will see the end of their contracts after this season. Who should Oakland try to bring back and who should they let go?
Departing Oakland Raiders Free Agents
Derek Carr
Before anyone starts panicking, Derek Carr‘s contract doesn’t expire until 2018. The Raider Nation are guaranteed at least one more season with number four under center (assuming the pinky ever heals). However, general manager Reggie McKenzie has made it known that he plans to re-sign the young quarterback to a monster contract this off-season. Knowing that, fans of the Raiders should curb their enthusiasm about the pursuit of big name free agents. Even after Carr’s contract gets done, Khalil Mack, Gabe Jackson, and Aldon Smith are right behind him. Some cuts are destined to happen, but other guys will simply be allowed to leave.
Latavius Murray
The young rusher out of the University of Central Florida has been solid for Oakland, but it’s unlikely that the Raiders will re-sign Latavius Murray. For one thing, he’s been good, not great for the silver and black over the first three years of his career. Last year, he barely broke one thousand yards, while only registering six touchdowns. This year, he’s on pace for just over 1,000 yards again, but he’s already scored 12 times on the ground.
The real issue is that Murray was only a sixth-round pick back in 2013, and he hasn’t gotten a big contract yet. The most he’s ever made in a season was this year, and he still didn’t make one million dollars. After a season with at least 12 touchdowns, Murray is going to want to get paid, and the Raiders simply can’t afford him.
Jon Condo
Jon Condo is an interesting case. Like all parts of special teams, the long snapper is a rarely used, but absolutely vital part of any team’s success. Condo has been a very reliable long snapper in Oakland for the better part of the last ten years, and even at 35-years-old, he’s can still go for the silver and black. Don’t be surprised if the Raiders re-sign him to a two year, relatively inexpensive contract.
D.J. Hayden
This is a really controversial one. D.J. Hayden has not played like the player that Oakland thought he would be when they took him with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft. He’s a liability in coverage, he only has three career interceptions, and before an injury ended his 2016 season, he was leading the team in penalties.
With T.J. Carrie thriving in Hayden’s absence last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, it seems unlikely that the Raiders will spend any more time or money on Hayden. It’s hard to imagine that they couldn’t find an improvement in the mid to later rounds of this year’s draft.
Matt McGloin
Once upon a time, the former Penn State star was the starting quarterback of the Oakland Raiders. Obviously, that was before Oakland stumbled upon Derek Carr. Matt McGloin has been a serviceable backup for the Raiders, but with teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets so desperate for a quarterback, he’ll likely want to test free agency. With rookie Connor Cook on the roster, the Raiders probably won’t push for him to stay either.
Malcolm Smith
The former Super Bowl MVP has not been a great addition for the Oakland Raiders. This year, Malcolm Smith is the 75th-ranked linebacker on Pro Football Focus, grading poorly against the run and the pass. He’s been dreadful this year, and he was even worse last year. With the addition of Perry Riley this year, the Raiders can probably afford to let him go. Speaking of which…
Perry Riley
Perry Riley came over to the Raiders earlier this season and has been a very good linebacker. While he hasn’t been an outstanding, and the position is still a need in the off-season, he’s certainly been solid. This is good for the Raiders, as he might not cost too much to re-sign.
Nate Allen
Nate Allen has been a very solid player for the Oakland Raiders in spots. When Karl Joseph went down with an injury, Allen filled in admirably. The Raiders have actually already released Allen once, only to re-sign him to a more cap-friendly deal. Reggie Nelson isn’t getting any younger, and they could use another safety back there. Don’t be surprised if Oakland can keep Allen around.
Andre Holmes
Wide receiver Andre Holmes has been around Oakland for five years. He’s 6’5 and runs a 4.53 40-yard dash. He’s been inconsistent at times, but he’s also played the role of deep threat for the Raiders on many occasions. Since Seth Roberts has been the one lining up in the slot the most frequently, even with a serious drop problem, it seems unlikely that Oakland would offer Holmes a significant sum to stick around.
Menelik Watson
Menelik Watson has been a bit of a disappointment for the Oakland Raiders. They took him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft to be their starting left tackle and he’s never really lived up to their expectations. He struggled on the left side of the line, and he’s spent most of his career on the injury report. It’s time for the Raiders to move on from Watson, and most of the 2013 draft class. Everyone except…
Stacy McGee
Stacy McGee, a defensive tackle, has been a pleasant surprise for the Oakland Raiders. He’s not Ndamukong Suh, but he’s been a good player for the Raiders. Since his footage and statistics don’t jump off the screen, the Raiders should be able to re-sign him for a relatively decent price.
Mychal Rivera
Tight end Mychal Rivera would’ve been an easy call four weeks ago, but recently, he’s earned more snaps. He’s caught eight passes for 96 yards over the last three weeks. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, he’s been splitting snaps with fellow tight end, Clive Walford. He’s been coming up and making decent plays for Derek Carr and the offense. Rivera won’t be in high demand this off-season, so it’s really up to Oakland.
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