Free agency officially begins on Monday and the Raiders have already cleared a bunch of cap space to get ready. Are they going to be major players in free agency or are they just going to be bargain shoppers?
With their newfound cap space, they could be both. The Raiders are searching for help at a few key positions and might consider going “all-in” on a proven player at the right price.
In a recent article by ESPN’s beat writers, they simulated the 2022 free agency period. In that simulation, the Raiders came away with one of the biggest prizes on the market in J.C. Jackson.
In the piece, their offer of four years, $72 million was accepted by Jackson as it guaranteed him the most money. Here is a snippet of their thoughts on how he would fit into the defense:
“Right away, Jackson — with his eight interceptions and league-leading 23 passes defensed last season — would solidify a secondary that will have a different look under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, departing from the Cover 3 sensibilities that Gus Bradley ran last season.
The Raiders have already cleared cap space by re-structuring left tackle Kolton Miller and running back Kenyan Drake, and deciding to cut linebacker Cory Littleton — and they could free up more money by releasing the likes of defensive end Carl Nassib and linebacker and Nick Kwiatkoski.
But Jackson would be CB1, and while Las Vegas hopes that Trayvon Mullen bounces back from an injury-plagued 2021 that limited him to just five games, the Raiders could still target another cornerback in the draft.”
While that price might seem a bit high for Jackson, that is just the going rate for a top cornerback. And with all of the cap space the Raiders have, getting a No. 1 cornerback would solve a lot of their needs on defense. They still would have space to add veterans on the open market, but this would certainly be their biggest move.
With the rest of the AFC West teams loading up on top-end talent, the Raiders would be wise to do the same. And Jackson has proven that he can slow down top receivers and he would be asked to do that a lot in the AFC. At this point, this is a move the Raiders almost have to make with the way the rest of the AFC West is shaping up.
