The Oakland Raiders are expected to be an active team this offseason in free agency and with Ndamukong Suh already set for a visit, the team may also target some other players on the market, including names like Randall Cobb, DeMarco Murray, Julius Thomas, Jeremy Maclin, Reggie Bush and Vince Wilfork and Andre Johnson if he is released by the Texans.
The Raiders have over $55 million in cap room this offseason and with the league spending rules the way they are, the team has to use most of that space. According to Pro Football Talk, the Raiders are "planning" to host Suh next week in Oakland and they are expected to go after him with a favorable contract offer. Adam Schefter at ESPN.com reports that Suh could command over $100 million and $50 million guaranteed, which could make him the highest paid defensive player in football.
Suh reportedly is a main target for the Miami Dolphins and Pro Football Talk writes that they are the "favorites" to sign Suh if he leaves Detroit. The Lions have said repeatedly that they are "optimistic" a deal can get done, but the moment Suh hits free agency he will have a number of teams trying to woo him. Suh had another strong season last year with 8.5 sacks and he is considered to be the best free agent player available.
The Raiders are firmly behind Derek Carr at quarterback and that means they likely will focus on the offensive side of the ball in free agency apart from Suh. DeMarco Murray could be a target if he leaves the Cowboys, as the Raiders were one of the worst rushing teams in the league and they have Darren McFadden hitting free agency and Maurice Jones-Drew retiring. The Cowboys think Murray will end up returning, but the Raiders have enough money to overpay to convince him to sign and it likely won't hurt them too much.
According to ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the Raiders are likely to "prioritize" Randall Cobb and Julius Thomas over Suh in free agency this winter. Schefter made his comments on Mad Dog Radio and said that he thinks Suh will end up elsewhere and that the Raiders will put offense at "the forefront" of their plans this offseason. Cobb is likely to price out of Green Bay, as Charles Robinson on Yahoo Sports reports that the team "balked" at paying $10 million per season.
Robinson wrote that the Packers were willing to go to $9 million per season, but they likely will let him go if he demands that price, as the team has a young player they like in Davante Adams. The Packers would love to keep Cobb, but after paying Jordy Nelson big money, they may have no choice but to say goodbye. Cobb had a career season with 91 catches for 1287 yards and 12 touchdowns and he should be a main target for the Raiders, Browns and Jaguars on the market.
Julius Thomas is expected to leave the Denver Broncos and Schefter reports that the Raiders likely will go after him. According to the Denver Post, the Broncos are likely to sign back Virgil Green over Thomas, as they also have Jacob Tamme hitting the market and would like to retain at least one of the tight ends for Peyton Manning.
