The Oakland Raiders have been an active team in free agency this offseason and while Reggie McKenzie has missed out on the top names like Randall Cobb or Jeremy Maclin, there is still talent on the market and some free agent options include Greg Jennings, Dwayne Bowe, Nate Washington, Michael Crabtree, Cecil Shorts and Hakeem Nicks at wide receiver.
The Raiders came into the offseason with some of the most cap space in the NFL and McKenzie has used a chunk of it on mostly B-level players, including Roy Helu and Dan Williams. McKenzie did not make a splash early on, with names like Julius Thomas and DeMarco Murray signing elsewhere, but he did add talent to the Raiders roster. The team signed Dan Williams, Malcolm Smith, Rodney Hudson and Curtis Lofton along with Helu.
--UPDATE: Stevie Johnson has signed with the Patriots. Bowe looks like he will be signing with the Browns. The Raiders have signed Roy Helu and Curtis Lofton. UPDATE: Matt Schaub is getting released after the team signed Christian Ponder.
One of the major needs for the team is at wide receiver and McKenzie may look at a combination of free agency and the NFL draft to fill that. This year there are a number of solid players on the market, including Bowe, Jennings and Johnson, all of whom were released by their teams to save cap space. Bill Williamson at ESPN.com writes that McKenzie could look at the draft, as this class has a solid group of wide receivers with Amari Cooper, Kevin White and DeVante Parker as potential first round options.
According to ESPN.com, Greg Jennings has been released by the Minnesota Vikings after the team acquired Mike Wallace in a trade and he could be an option for the Raiders. Silver and Black Pride at SB Nation lists wide receiver as the main need left for the Raiders and cites the connections between Jennings and McKenzie from their time in Green Bay. Jennings was released after the team traded for Wallace and it frees them up from his $9 million salary.
Dwayne Bowe was released by the Chiefs after the team signed Jeremy Maclin to a free agent deal and he could be a target. According to ESPN.com, Bowe is a target for the Browns and the sides have "mutual interest" and this comes after the Browns dealt with news about Josh Gordon's 2015 suspension. Bowe is coming off of a down season and he was cut after previously signing a five year deal worth over $50 million. Bowe once had 15 touchdowns in one season, but last year he was held out of the endzone.
Stevie Johnson and Michael Crabtree are also on the market and they could be potential options for the team if they don't sign Jennings. The Raiders need some weapons on the outside for Derek Carr, who had a solid season as a rookie. According to ESPN.com, the team signed Christian Ponder to serve as the backup for Derek Carr and that could lead to the release of Schaub this offseason. Schaub has a $5.5 million salary and he only appeared in two games last season for the team.
The Raiders have spent about $40 million in salary cap space this offseason, according to ESPN.com and this comes adter they started with $64 million in room. The Raiders won just three games last season and over the previous two years they finished with 4-12 records.
