The Raiders have big personnel decisions coming in the months ahead. Most of those decisions will come on the defensive side of the ball, but Jon Gruden still doesn’t have his top receiver under contract for 2021 and he might be developing wandering eyes.
According to NFL Analysis Network’s Evan Massey, the Raiders are looking to upgrade at wide receiver (presumably over Nelson Agholor) and they might even be willing to make a trade for an elite pass-catcher like Odell Beckham Jr.
The Raiders would like to bring back Agholor, but there is no question the free agent talent pool at wide receiver is well-stocked this year. Agholor should still be considered the favorite to be Derek Carr’s top target next year, but names like JuJu Smith-Schuster and now Beckham Jr. may also be in the mix.
And would anyone be surprised if Gruden suddenly got an eye for Allen Robinson?
When the 2021 season gets underway, the Raiders will have overhauled areas of their defense (free safety and another pass rusher), but maybe don’t rule out an aggressive move from Gruden at wide receiver, too.
twitter: @raidersbeat
If Detroit got that much for Stanford then I’d be on the phone with Washington. Carr for a 1st, 3rd, and Montez Sweat would work. Run with Marriota. Use the extra first for a LB and the other 1st for a CB. Look for a safety in the 2nd. 3rd round DL. And with the freed up money from Carr, add Allen Robinson. The rest of the draft needs QB, OL, DL, and RB. I would hope the Raiders learned their lessons with diva receivers.
Sounds good to me! A lead WR. Leonard Williams, and Justin Simmons, would go a very long way to getting us in and through the playoffs. Trade big Trent to Cleveland for O J, Mariotta to someone for a star linebacker or FS if not Simmons., and cut all other no dead money contracts, to free up additional funds for cap and personnel casualties across the league. Other needs can be addressed ie tackle/linebacker/safety/OL in the upcoming draft. Also rework larger contracts of players you plan to keep a bit longer to free up access money to continue to fortify the team.
Gruden and Mayock…be aggressive and be strong and for the sake of the Nation.please be accurate and deliberate in all your moves and personnel actions. I definitely believe that Leonard Williams and Simmons are game changers and we need them both in the FA market with cash. Send T Brown to Cleveland fir OBJ, Mariotta and Gabe Jackson to SF for Trent Williams, grab Melvin Ingram on the cheap, and stack up you g viable talent in every round of the draft. You must cut ties with every available contract on the roster that frees up no dead money and cash. Resign Denzelle Goode who is your most versatile lineman, and let’s go finally win enough game’s to get to the playoffs…let’s go Raiders…just win baby! Coach L
Top Las Vegas Raiders’ pending free agents in 2021
The Las Vegas Raiders head into the 2021 free agency period with a need to make decisions on several defensive free agents.
By Tommy Garrett
The Raiders need to free up space to negotiate with not only 2021 free agents, but they also need to address the elephant in the room named Derek Carr. He is due $19 million and change in both 2021 and 2022.
Sure, he has played better each season under head coach Jon Gruden, but it hasn’t stopped them from seriously inquiring into other options. Most recently, Tom Brady last offseason.
Is Carr the future of the Raiders’ offense or simply a player causing a salary cap issue? The Raiders want to be active in the free agent market. However, in order to do so, money needs to be freed up.
Nelson Agholor bet on himself and won as he enters free agency in 2021
Nelson Agholor was, in fact, one of the NFL’s biggest surprises to come out of free agency. He was the downfield receiver for the Raiders that he never was for the Philadelphia Eagles.
He bet on himself with a one-year contract to play for Las Vegas for a $910,000 minimum veteran salary and $137,500 signing bonus. Agholor ended up with 48 receptions for 896 yards and 8 touchdowns. His 18.67 yards per catch led the NFL among receivers with 40 or more catches in 2020. Of the Raiders’ pass catchers, Agholor’s 82 targets ranked behind only Darren Waller’s 145.
He was the threat the Raiders thought they drafted when they selected Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III as the first WR off the board in last year’s draft.
According to Spotrac, Agholor enters free agency with an estimated $9.7 million market value on a two-year, $19.547 million contract. I’d say his gamble paid off in the long run.
The Raiders need to make a plan for their free agent pass rushers
If there is one position the Raiders need to make some tough choices on in 2021, it’s with their defensive line free agents. DE Takkarist McKinley, DT Johnathan Hankins, and DE Vic Beasley will all hit the open market this offseason.
What’s the point of claiming a player off waivers only to never see them play? For instance, if the Raiders let McKinley leave in the 2021 free agency period, that is what will happen.
Sure, they claimed him with the hopes that he could return and help them in a playoff run. Neither of those things happened, however. He played in four games (all with Atlanta) and spent the season rehabbing his groin. Las Vegas could sign him to a prove-it deal — they need pass rush help.
Speaking of former Atlanta players who could see a prove-it deal after a disappointing season, let’s look at Vic Beasley. He played in 10 games last season for both the Tennessee Titans and Raiders but underperformed. He had zero sacks or pressures and one tackle in the five games with Las Vegas. His snap counts were in the range of eight to 24.
Although Johnathan Hankins’ pass-rushing ability has declined in recent seasons, he should still see free agency interest. He recorded 50 total tackles to go alongside 1.5 sacks and a pass deflection last year.
Las Vegas Raiders’ 2021 offensive free agents
WR Nelson Agholor, 28 – sign him
RB Devontae Booker, 29 – cut him
TE Derek Carrier, 31 – cut him
T Denzelle Good, 30 – sign him
WR Zay Jones, 26 – sign him
QB Nathan Peterman, 27 – cut him
QB Derek Carr – trade him
RB Theo Riddick, 30 – cut him
T Sam Young, 34 – cut him
Las Vegas Raiders’ 2021 defensive and special teams free agents
DE Vic Beasley, 29 – cut him
K Daniel Carlson, 26 – sign him
DT Johnathan Hankins, 29 – sign him
S Erik Harris, 31 – cut him
CB Nevin Lawson, 30 – cut him
S Dallin Leavitt, 27 – cut him
DE Takkarist McKinley, 26 – cut him
LB Raekwon McMillan, 26 – cut him
LB Nicholas Morrow, 26 – sign him
LS Trent Sieg, 26 – cut him
DE Kendal Vickers, 26 – cut him
LB Kyle Wilber, 32 – cut him
CB Daryl Worley, 26 cut him
If you trade Care you are seeing up the Raiders for at least two more noon playoff years. Gruden’s offense is extremely complex in verbiage and audibles, any pundit will tell you that. No one outside of Brady or Brees currently playing is going to come in and succeed right away in his system. 19 million is cheap for a starting QB that just completed 70% of his passes for 4,000 yards and a QB rating of 100.7 and had already been in an offensive system for 3 years.
If “GRUDEN”, Is that “Dumb / Stupid” to go after “O’Beckham Jr( Complete team-Cancer or That Dancing idiot Juju Shuster, who his ex teammate A.Brown said it best “He will not be much without me there on the team”. Well surprise-surprise. He isn’t, nor will he ever be. The browns are a better team- I repeat team without that other Me, Myself & Me Beckham. So if Gruden, still wants to Coach & make a difference & not give back his salary??
Then don’t bring in either or anyone like this.
Couldn’t agree more about those two divas. But I wouldn’t mind A- Rob!
My raiders need a major
player in the middle of the
of the defense line, anothe
r good CB and Safety! The
defense is number problem that must be fixed if we are to be able
to complete in AFC west.
offense A+ DON’T MESS WITH IT
QB A- more pump fakes, 2 second drops – WR’s NOW have speed, trust them to do their job. ( throw ball out in front of them and tell them go fetch ) when they drop back in deep coverage ” It’s Jacob time ” ( Miller’s substitute )
defense C+ Too bad a player like *JJ Watt* wasn’t available. add that to Crosby, Collins, Ferrell, Hurst, Littleton, Muse, & Nassib, who do you double team ?? Talk about a Raiders defense of the 70’s !!
It’s called click bait. Raiders don’t have the cap space to go WR shopping…
…again. Need to let Ruggs & Edwards develop & fix the D.
Timothy Kelly says:
February 1, 2021 at 8:47 pm
offense A+ DON’T MESS WITH IT
QB A- more pump fakes, 2 second drops – WR’s NOW have speed, trust them to do their job. ( throw ball out in front of them and tell them go fetch ) when they drop back in deep coverage ” It’s Jacob time ” ( Miller’s substitute )
defense C+ Too bad a player like *JJ Watt* wasn’t available. add that to Crosby, Collins, Ferrell, Hurst, Littleton, Muse, & Nassib, who do you double team ?? Talk about a Raiders defense of the 70’s !!
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You lost me at JJ Watt, he’s definitely not worth anywhere near what he’s commanding, he’s the Trent Brown of DL players.