Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is approaching in a month, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. Today, the Oakland Raiders are the focus. The Raiders have the 24th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and and the Raiders are looking to go from playoff contender to Super Bowl favorite. This are the three biggest needs for the Oakland Raiders 2017 off-season.
Oakland Raiders 2017 Off-Season: Top 3 Needs
Linebacker
Oakland’s biggest needs are all on defense. Despite having an explosive offense in 2016, they couldn’t seem to get the defense going. The unit would play well late in games, but far too often, Derek Carr and company had to scratch and claw to keep the Raiders ahead.
Oakland has really struggled in two areas in recent memory. They can’t stop the run, and no matter what they do, they can’t seem to slow down tight ends. What position deals almost primarily with tight ends and running backs? The linebackers.
Perry Riley Jr. is a player the Raiders would like to re-sign, but after a very solid 2016, he might’ve played his way into a bigger contract elsewhere. Ben Heeney and Malcolm Smith have had moments of brilliance, but have been mostly unreliable.
The official Last Word on Pro Football mock draft has the Oakland Raiders selecting linebacker Jarrad Davis with their first round pick, but there are other ways they could improve the position. Linebackers Zach Brown and Dont’a Hightower are both set to hit free agency, and while they might come with a big price tag, they’d immediately improve the defense.
Defensive Line
Head coach Jack Del Rio was very critical about the lack of interior pressure last season. While Dan Williams and Stacy McGee are talented players, but McGee is set to be a free agent and Williams hasn’t lived up to his contract. The hiring of John Pagano leads many to believe that the Raiders will be running a 3-4 next season. If this is true, they desperately need a big nosetackle.
Dontari Poe of the Kansas City Chiefs has been mentioned as a potential free agent target. He’s coming off of the worst year of his career, where a nagging back injury slowed him down, but he could return to form in 2017. Poe is a freak athlete, and can do things at his size that almost nobody else can do.
Malik McDowell, the giant defensive tackle from Michigan State, is also a popular target. McDowell is 6’6 and has seemingly unlimited upside. However, he’s also very raw, and may not be able to make an immediate impact for the Raiders. However, general manager Reggie McKenzie, who won the award for Executive of the Year last season, loves giant raw athletes, so McDowell is another possible pick at #24.
Tailback
The writing is on the wall. Oakland’s leading rusher from 2016, Latavius Murray, is as good as gone. His contract is up, and after scoring 14 times for the Raiders last year, he’s after a big pay day in free agency. With Murray leaving, the Raiders lose over 1,000 yards of offense.
Some would argue that defensive back and offensive line are bigger needs, but the run game is important as well. Barring an incredible turnaround, this is a team that wins because of their offense. As fantastic as Derek Carr is, he can’t carry this team on his own. He’ll need a reliable running game, and the remaining rushers, Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington, haven’t proved they can carry the load yet.
Just because this is a big need, that doesn’t mean the Oakland Raiders have to spend a lot of money. While it would be nice to see someone like Le’Veon Bell sign with Oakland, he likely won’t even hit free agency. So instead, the Raiders should sign an inexpensive veteran, or draft another tailback.
In this situation, there are two huge prospects that the Raiders should consider. One is a blast from the past, former Raider rusher, Rashad Jennings. Jennings is a huge, bruising powerback, and he could fill Murray’s role as the teams redzone workhorse. He’d be dirt cheap, and with three (four if you include Jamize Olawale) backs splitting carries, he could stay fresh.
Christian McCaffrey
On the other end of the spectrum, that’s Stanford star, Christian McCaffrey. Much like with Jennings, McCaffrey could benefit from splitting carries. At 6’1, 200 pounds, some say McCaffrey is more of a receiver than a rusher, but the Raiders could use both. McCaffrey has been compared to the likes of Reggie Bush, Tiki Barber, and Brian Westbrook, and Oakland could use a versatile player like that on offense.
Just think about it, McCaffrey can’t be a bust. If he’s too small to be a feature back, then he’s a change of pace home-run hitter. If he can’t play between the tackles at all, he’s an explosive slot receiver. And if that doesn’t pan out, then the Raiders get a dynamic returner. Best case, he’s Barry Sanders. Worst case, he’s Devin Hester. Either way, he makes the Raiders offense better.
