Top 5 Free Agents Raiders Should Target
For the first time in a handful of years, the Oakland Raiders have a solid young core to build around.
The team finished the 2015 season with a record of 7-9 and with the right free agent signings and draft picks, Oakland can move its way up the AFC West standings.
Here are the top 5 players the Raiders can go after in free agency to immediately improve the team:
1. Eric Weddle - Safety
With Charles Woodson retiring, the Raiders have an open spot at the safety position. Woodson was not only one of the best safeties in the league, even at his old age, but he also provided veteran leadership.
Weddle can fill in that role perfectly for the Silver and Black. He has spent his entire nine year career in San Diego where he earned All-Pro honors twice.
Oakland re-signed another veteran safety, Nate Allen, earlier in the off-season. The two veteran safeties can help lead a young secondary.
Weddle has never played in less than 13 games in a season. He's a guy the Raiders can count on to be in the lineup week in and week out.
2. Mario Williams - Defensive End
The Raiders also have a hole at defensive end after Justin Tuck announced he will retire as well. To fill the hole, Oakland can look to Williams, another All-Pro defensive end.
Williams had a down year for the Buffalo Bills in 2015 with just five sacks after recording a career high 14.5 sacks in 2014.
If Williams can bounce back to his normal form, he's the type of player who can work well with All-Pro defensive end and outside linebacker Khalil Mack..
If the Raiders can sign a guy like Williams, or another skilled pass rusher, the team has the potential to be one of the best pass rushing teams in the league.
3. Donald Penn - Offensive Tackle
When Oakland signed Penn in 2014, there were questions if he could be the type of player who got to the Pro Bowl in 2010. In the two seasons with the team, he has shown that he is still one of the best tackles in the NFL.
The Raiders need to resign Penn. There's no doubt that it will cost the team a good amount of money, but a good left tackle is something every team needs.
It may not excite the Raider Nation like bringing in a new free agent tackle such as Russell Okung, but Penn has fit in well in Oakland and has been great at protecting Carr's blind side.
4. Chris Ivory - Running Back
The Raiders running game in 2015 was terribly inconsistent. Yes, Latavius Murray ran for over 1,000 yards, but he wasn't the power back Oakland was hoping he would be.
Ivory, who also ran for over 1,000 yards last season, would come in to the team to be the short yardage, power back for Oakland. The NFL is filled with one-two punches in the running game. Murray and Ivory would be a good combination.
Ivory can also be a lead back which would give the team some wiggle room if Murray was to go down with an injury.
5. Sean Smith - Cornerback
Although T.J. Carrie and David Amerson played better than expected in 2015, the secondary got lit up the entire season.
Smith would come in as the immediate number one corner with the ability to shut down receivers in man defense.
Bringing in a top quality corner would allow Carrie and Amerson to continue to develop by covering the opposing team's second and third receivers.
With the addition of Smith, and potentially Weddle in the secondary as well, it would bring an instant upgrade to the weakest part of the Raiders defense.
