The Oakland Raiders are coming into the offseason with money to spend and an Andre Johnson trade could be an option with the Texans, while Adrian Peterson, Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, Ndamukong Suh, Julius Thomas and DeMarco Murray are potential options in free agency if those players hit the market and it comes as Derek Carr needs some weapons around him for 2015.
The Raiders brought in Jack Del Rio to take over as head coach after Dennis Allen was fired and now Marl Davis is hoping he can start a major turnaround. The team won just three games last season and won only eight in the previous two seasons combined with identical 4-12 records. The team is reportedly cutting ties with LaMarr Woodley, who was one of the bigger free agent deals they made last season. The Raiders have over $50 million in projected cap space for this offseason and that should free up even more.
Andre Johnson could be a potential target for the Raiders, as he is on the trade block according to Pro Football Talk. The Texans are looking for Johnson to take a pay cut and the team has given him permission to look for a trade. The Raiders could be in the mix because they can handle his cap hit, while teams like the Browns and Jets also could be in the mix. Johnson is 34 and is coming off of a solid season with 85 catches for 936 yards and now could be on his way out.
The team has a number of targets they could go after in free agency and the offensive side of the ball likely will be a focus. With the Lions not using the franchise tag on Ndamukong Suh, there is a good chance the Raiders will go after him, as he is looking to get paid big money. The Raiders have the money to compete for a deal and they could look at signing him, as he wants $100 million and at least $50 million guaranteed and could get even more. Suh is considered to be the top free agent on the market.
The offensive side of the ball should get some attention, as the team wants to build around Derek Carr heading into the future. The Raiders have Latavius Murray and Mychal Rivera as talented prospects and now players like Cobb, Maclin and Thomas could be targets. Adrian Peterson also could be an option, but Pro Football Talk reports that if he ends up elsewhere from Minnesota, it likely will be in Arizona, Indianapolis or Dallas. Murray is another option, as he is hitting the market and could get attention from teams.
The Cowboys may let Murray go and he could get big money from a team like the Raiders or the browns if he is looking to get a long term contract. Maclin and Cobb are coming off of career seasons and with their teams not using the franchise tags, they have the chance to price out of their current spots. The Raiders have money to spend and with ESPN.com reporting that Cobb is looking for $9 million per season, he could be too pricey for the Packers.