The Oakland Raiders have been among the most active teams in the NFL this offseason. After struggling out of the gate in free agency, general manager Reggie McKenzie and Co. have picked it up a great deal since. As you will see below, there is going to be a new-look Oakland Raiders offense in 2014.
Let’s take a look at where they stand after the vast majority of free agency has concluded and less than two months prior to the 2014 NFL draft.
Matt Schaub, Quarterback
Despite a contract restructure that voided the third year of his deal following a trade from the Houston Texans, there is no reason to believe that Oakland brought Schaub in to be anything less than a starting quarterback in 2014. His primary competition comes in the form of Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor. That’s not necessarily what you’d call a quarterback competition, as those two combined for 15 touchdowns and 19 interceptions last season.
Then you have recent reports that the Raiders might avoid the quarterback position altogether in the upcoming draft. They possess the No. 5 overall pick, but are going to look in another direction there. At the very least Schaub, who threw 10 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions himself last season, will be the starter heading into 2014. Maybe he can rekindle the previous success he had in Houston, but that seems like somewhat of a longshot. Oakland still needs to go out there and find that franchise quarterback. None of the four (Trent Edwards included) that it has on the roster are long-term solutions.
Maurice Jones-Drew, Running Back
Cary Edmondson, USA Today: Jones-Drew comes home on a cheap deal.
In reality, Jones-Drew is more of a lock to be on Oakland’s opening-week roster than incumbent Darren McFadden, who is only guaranteed $100,000 under his new one-year contract. For his part, MJD’s new contract calls for $1.2 million guaranteed.
That’s a vast difference right there.
Even if the injury-plagued McFadden finds himself healthy for the first time throughout a season in a while, Jones-Drew will play an important role in the Raiders rushing attack. If history proves anything, he’ll likely start more games than we think right now. McFadden has missed 40 percent of the Raiders outings over the past three seasons.
Jones-Drew is coming off a career-worst performance that saw him average just 3.4 yards per rush last season. He’s nowhere near his prime right now and could use some help in the backfield. Oakland’s best-case scenario here is for these two to split carries.
James Jones, Wide Receiver (Three-Wide Sets)
Jones, who was Green Bay’s primary slot guy last season, will likely play the same role in Oakland after agreeing to a below market three-year, $10 million contract. After struggles with drops early in his career, Jones has picked his game up a great deal over the past couple seasons. He recorded 59 receptions for over 800 yards in 2014, a year after leading the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.
With Denarius Moore and Rod Streater likely starting on the outside, Jones will find his place in the slot where he doesn’t have much competition. Also vying for playing time will be Juron Criner, Andre Holmes and Greg Jenkins.
Donald Penn, Left Tackle
Kim Klement, USA Today: Penn isn’t an upgrade, but represents a decent stopgap.
Just a couple short years ago Penn was among the most consistent left tackles in the NFL. It took a turn in the opposite direction as Penn struggled a great deal in pass protection for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Penn finished with a negative grade in that category for the first time since 2009.
He now takes over that position which was left vacant when Jared Veldheer signed a lucrative deal with the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. Short of Oakland adding either Greg Robinson or Jake Matthews at No. 5 overall, Penn can be penciled in as the opening-week starter on Schaub’s blind side. Not an upgrade from Veldheer, but much better than most of us expected after the whole Rodger Saffold fiasco.
Kevin Boothe, Right Guard
There is a strong possibility that Austin Howard (more on him in a second) ends up starting at right guard once the season gets going. That’s dependent on Oakland picking up a tackle early in May or Menelik Watson proving he can handle a starting role in his second season. If none of that happens, Boothe will find himself in the starting lineup come September.
Boothe began his playing career with these very same Raiders back in 2006, starting 14 games at right guard, before moving on to the New York Giants the next season. In seven seasons with the Giants, Boothe has 48 starts all over the offensive line, including 16 in each of the last two years.
Austin Howard, Right Tackle
Howard started all 16 games for the New York Jets in each of the last two seasons, struggling in pass protection one season while losing battles in the running game the following year. He’s as inconsistent as they come, but possesses the physical tools to be a downright terror for opposing defensive linemen. It’s all about putting everything together, something that Howard has yet to do in the NFL.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, they are banking on him to do just that after signing him to a five-year, $30 million contract this offseason. Based on that salary, he’s expected to be an above-average right tackle or elite guard in Oakland. Can you bank on that?
Here is how the Raiders Offense Looks as of Right Now.
Jim Brown, USA Today: Potentially six new starters (in bold).
QB- Matt Schaub
RB- Maurice Jones-Drew/Darren McFadden
FB- Marcel Reece
TE- Mychal Rivera/David Ausberry
WR- Denarius Moore
WR- Rod Streater
WR- James Jones
LT- Donald Penn
LG- Tony Bergstrom/Lucas Nix/Lamar Mady
C- Stefen Wisniewski
RG- Kevin Boothe
RT- Austin Howard
Final Pre-Draft Outlook
It’s hard to argue that the Raiders aren’t vastly improved on the offensive side of the ball. The additions of veterans at skill positions will help their offense stay above water until some real young talent over the next couple years. Schaub, if he is able to at least come close to his performance prior to last year, should hold down the fort under center. Adding a few quality offensive linemen to the mix, whether it’s as starters or key players off the bench, should help improve a unit that was downright disastrous in 2014.
The good news here is that McKenzie didn’t break the bank long term on this side of the ball. All of these contracts are easy to get out from under over the next couple years, which had to be a primary focus for the front office heading in. Short-term fixes with low-risk contracts while building through the draft. That’s a recipe for success down the road.
All contract information provided by Spotrac
Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA Today