The Oakland Raiders are coming into the 2015 offseason with the chance to re-tool the roster, as they have a ton of salary cap space and with a deep free agent class, names like Ndamukong Suh, Terrance Knighton, Julius Thomas, Randall Cobb, Greg Hardy, Byron Maxwell, CJ Spiller and Jeremy Maclin could be targets, while Adrian Peterson could be an option if he is released by the Vikings.
The Raiders are projected to have over $50 million on the cap coming up this offseason according to Over the Cap and NFL.com reports they could use most of it. Reggie McKenzie added a number of free agents last season, but the team did not go crazy and now they have space to use again. Last year the team had the most salary cap space coming into the offseason and once again they are one of the top teams. Names like Suh, Jeremy Maclin and Randall Cobb could be the top targets, while Terrance Knighton has also come up in connection with the team.
Suh is looking to be one of the highest paid players in football and that is one reason why the Raiders can be in the mix. According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions feel that they can sign back Suh and expect to get a deal done, but if that doesn't happen, the Browns, Raiders and Jets can meet his demands if they want to. The Lions are pushing hard to sign Suh, who wants a JJ Watt deal near $100 million. The Raiders would love to grab Suh, but the recent developments have it likely that he is staying in Detroit.
Julius Thomas is another name to watch, as he is likely leaving the Broncos and could be a target for the Raiders. The team needs more offensive stars and along with Thomas, names like Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin and CJ Spiller could be potential targets. Cobb and Maclin come in after putting up career numbers, while Thomas has had 24 touchdown catches in the last two seasons.
Adrian Peterson could be a potential option for the Raiders if he is released by the Vikings, as Darren McFadden is likely not getting signed back. The team had issues running the ball last year and if the Vikings opt to release Peterson, the Raiders could go after him. Spiller, Mark Ingram and Ben Tate are on the market, while Chris Johnson also could be a fit for the Raiders. Johnson was released by the Jets this offseason and he should have a number of targets.
The Denver Post reports that the Raiders may look at Knighton as a free agent option, as he has been one of the best defensive players against the run over the past few years. Suh is likely to stay with the Lions and if that happens, expect the Raiders to go after Knighton in free agency. While Knighton is not the talent that Suh is, he could be a strong option for the defense, which struggled mightily against the run last season. Jack Del Rio previously had Knighton in Denver and that could make for an easy transition.