Oakland Raiders: 5 Pending 2017 Free Agents Team Must Re-Sign
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With the 2017 offseason not too far off, the Oakland Raiders will have some tough choices to make when it comes to re-signing their pending free agents.
At this moment, the Oakland Raiders have 18 pending free agents (13 unrestricted) they’ll need to make a decision on this upcoming offseason. While there’s still plenty of time between now and the start of the new league year, you better believe free agency is looming large on the minds of the Oakland brass.
Especially with how successful the Raiders have been in 2016, keeping the core of this roster intact will be imperative to maintaining their current momentum. Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done convincing free agents to stay, especially if this team makes a deep playoff run.
So who should the Raiders re-sign when the offseason officially arrives? There are a few starters headed for the open market, as well as several role players who have made significant impacts this year. It’s not going to be easy for Oakland to determine where to spend their available cap space. Based on what we’ve seen this season, though, I’m going to attempt to pinpoint the top priority free agents.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at five pending free agents the Raiders must get back under contract in 2017. Keep in mind, I’m only taking unrestricted free agents into account.
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5. QB Matt McGloin
Having a quality backup quarterback is of the utmost importance in today’s NFL. Losing your starter, even for a short period of time, can be the difference between a trip to the playoffs and an 8-8 season. It just so happens the Raiders have one of those aforementioned quality backups. Yes, I’m talking about Matt McGloin. Unfortunately, the Raiders will be faced with the decision of whether or not to re-sign him this offseason.
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The only reason I even call it a decision is because Oakland traded up in the fourth round to draft Connor Cook back in April. While the rookie underwhelmed during training camp and the preseason, chances are the Raiders still have plans for him to take over as the No. 2 somewhere down the road.
Assuming that’s the case, they may opt to let McGloin walk and hand Cook the backup duties. That, however, would be a mistake. I wasn’t convinced the Michigan State product could ever be an NFL-caliber signal caller, and definitely didn’t agree with the decision to make him a fourth-round pick.
The Raiders should stick with McGloin for now, even if it’s just for a year. That’ll give them a more reliable No. 2 if Derek Carr does get hurt, while allowing them more time to see what Cook has to offer.
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4. ILB Perry Riley Jr.
For a couple of years now, I’ve been a proponent of the Raiders acquiring a true impact middle linebacker. It hasn’t happened up to this point, but Oakland got about as close as it’s been in recent memory with the midseason addition of Perry Riley Jr. this year.
The former Washington Redskins starter was signed in October, and has been a reliable part of the Oakland defense since then. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, he’s been the 16th-best linebacker this season among 89 qualified players. Not too shabby when you consider the Raiders’ other non-edge linebackers, Malcolm Smith and Cory James, rank 75th and 77th, respectively.
While I don’t think he’s the long-term answer in the middle, Riley is a solid bridgegap. He has the experience and productivity to hold down the job until Oakland finds a more permanent option.
The Raiders only paid Riley $760,000 for his services this season. If they can bring him back for something under $2 million per year, I think it would be a worthwhile investment. He’s clearly a better starting option than Smith, and proved he can still be effective in this league.
I’m sure folks will be hoping Ben Heeney can come back and re-secure the starting job. However, even if that is the case, Riley’s return wouldn’t be the worst thing for the Raiders.
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3. TE Mychal Rivera
I’ll be honest—I’ve never been a huge fan of Mychal Rivera. While he’s a serviceable receiving tight end, the overall package he brings to the table is average at best.
Realistically, Rivera is a decent receiving tight end with limited blocking abilities. He struggles to make an impact as a run blocker, and I believe much of his production in the passing game has come more as a result of necessity than talent. Before Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree came to town, he was one of the Raiders’ lone receiving options worthy of a target. Despite these shortcomings, Rivera is still a valuable asset for Oakland.
The Raiders have had a rough go at the tight end position in 2016. Lee Smith was lost early in the season to an ankle injury, and Clive Walford has suffered a bit of a sophomore slump while battling injuries of his own. That’s left Rivera to handle the majority of the tight end duties yet again.
He’s responded well, though. Rivera is making plays in the passing game and isn’t getting completely destroyed as a blocker. The Raiders called upon him to step up, and he answered the call. With so much uncertainty at the position, it would be best for Oakland to keep Rivera around at least another year or two.
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2. DT Stacy McGee
I’m a bit surprised at how underwhelming Oakland’s defensive tackles have been in 2016. The group seemed like one of the team’s strongest heading into the season, but that’s been far from the case.
Instead, injuries and subpar play have doomed the Raiders along the interior. Justin Ellis has been a shell of his former self this season, and the youngsters Denico Autry and Jihad Ward have been awful according to Pro Football Focus.
The only two players who have earned impressive marks are Dan Williams and Stacy McGee. Seeing as McGee is set to hit free agency in 2017, I think it’s safe to say re-signing him should be a priority for Oakland. It’s not like he’d cost that much more than the $559,670 he’s being paid this season.
I was already hesitant about Ward’s potential, especially when the Raiders nabbed him in the second round. Based on what we’ve seen in 2016, it’s all the more reason for the team to hold on to a player like McGee who is more than capable of making an impact as both a run defender and pass rusher.
McGee is no star and likely never will be. Maintaining depth and keeping quality contributors around is imperative to winning a Super Bowl, though. If the Raiders plan on doing that anytime soon, they’d be wise to retain McGee.
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1. RB Latavius Murray
There’s no pending free agent more important to this team than Latavius Murray. The Raiders’ starting running back has had an up-and-down career, but has finally earned his keep as the go-to guy on the ground in Oakland. So it’s probably easy to understand why the Raiders can’t let Murray get away this offseason.
Like I mentioned earlier, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows for the former sixth-round pick. After missing his rookie season with an ankle injury, Murray flashed some serious potential as a sophomore. He then got the starting job in Year 3, but was wildly inconsistent while battling injuries.
Although he hasn’t been completely healthy this year either, Murray is starting to look like a true No. 1 running back. He’s making splash plays consistently, finding the end zone on a nearly weekly basis, and even making a solid impact as a receiver.
The Raiders have some fallback options if Murray gets away. If the former UCF star signs elsewhere, the duo of Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington wouldn’t be the worst way to keep the Oakland ground attack alive in 2017.
However, if Reggie McKenzie knows what’s best for him, he won’t let that happen. I don’t even see Oakland letting Murray test the waters—they’ll get a deal done well before the new league year begins, securing their top back for the foreseeable future.
