The Oakland Raiders were one of the most inconsistent teams in the NFL last season, but after a flurry of offseason moves, free agent signings and seemingly solid draft picks, the team at least appears to be on the way to improving rather than the downward trend that flared up at the end of last year and another sign could be if they sign wideout Brandon Lloyd.
The Raiders are desperate for some receivers behind Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore and after a solid but not stellar season in New England, Lloyd could be a fit with the team. Lloyd made a number of catches for first downs last season and he could be that solid and steady player for new quarterback Matt Flynn or Tyler Wilson.
The Raiders traded for quarterback Matt Flynn from the Seattle Seahawks for draft picks and then did some draft maneuvering themselves during the opening round on Thursday, trading out of the third pick with the Miami Dolphins, allowing them to select Dion Jordan at number three while the Raiders received extra picks and the player they wanted all along in DJ Hayden at number 12 overall. General manager Reggie McKenzie has done a good job after inheriting an awful financial situation and after trading away Carson Palmer and cutting a few veterans, the team has set itself up for solid offseason money-wise the next few years, especially next season when they potentially could have over $70 million in cap space.
According to ESPN.com, the Raiders selected quarterback Tyler Wilson in the fourth round along with two other throwers, Matt Barkley and Ryan Nassib. The Raiders had the chance to take either of the two before eventually drafting Wilson and they traded down, allowing Philadelphia to take Barkley, while the Giants traded up to take Nassib, as they felt his value was high enough to go after him. The Raiders now add Wilson into the mix with Flynn and Pryor and now have three arms to choose from after having Carson Palmer last season, as they traded him away to the Cardinals. Wilson was the 112th pick in the draft and his position means he could get the chance to compete for a starting job, although that is unlikely.
Wilson now will be tied to McKenzie a bit, but so will Flynn since he traded for him. Wilson put up excellent numbers against top flight competition in the SEC and the Raiders loved what they saw of him in workouts. Although the team already had two quarterbacks, the position is like currency in the NFL and even if he never plays, Wilson could be trade bait or an emergency starter down the line. The Raiders went 4-12 last season, but already look much better than they did when the year ended, as they signed cornerback Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter and linebackers Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett while also drafting corner DJ Hayden in the first round.