2018 Disaster Draft: The Oakland Raiders

The 2017 season did not go how the Oakland Raiders thought it would. They failed to build on a promising 2016 campaign and failed to make the homecoming for bay area legend Marshawn Lynch count. They stumbled, and never recovered. A defensive regression and an unexpectedly terrible season from Amari Cooper left them wanting for more last season. A disaster draft comes at an odd time; a team at a crossroads, with a mix of overpriced declining veterans and youngsters who just got paid, or are on the verge of doing so. They are a very expensive, not upper echelon, franchise. They still have enough quality to make an examination of their sixteen useful, but their roster is not exactly flush with players they are dying to keep.

Lost to Free Agency: David Amerson, Reggie Nelson, NaVorro Bowman

The No Doubters:

Player POS. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Derek Carr QB $25,000,000 $22,500,000 $21,500,000 $22,125,000 $19,877,519
Khalil Mack DE $13,846,000 UFA
Kelechi Osemele G $10,500,000 $10,200,000 $11,700,000 UFA
Donald Penn LT $8,381,250 $10,350,000 UFA
Amari Cooper WR $7,210,993 UFA
Rodney Hudson C $8,450,000 $8,600,000 UFA
Karl Joseph SS $3,241,177 $3,781,374 UFA
Gareon Conley CB $2,378,960 $2,854,752 $3,330,544 UFA

There’s a theme here at the top of the “must keep” list: lots and lots of money spent. Derek Carr got paid last season so that the Raiders wouldn’t face the headache of tagging both Carr and Mack this season. Between those two and a few high-paid offensive linemen, the Raiders are outlaying almost $60 million to five players, but they are worth it. Penn, Osemele and Hudson have big-money deals that they have mostly lived up to, so it would be crazy to leave them unprotected. Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley are young, early draft picks. Amari Cooper stinks in the red zone (don’t @ me), but he’s still a very talented wide receiver who obviously must be protected against a disaster draft.

 

The More-Than-Likely Staying:

Player POS. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Sean Smith CB $8,500,000 $9,000,000 UFA
Michael Crabtree WR $7,687,500 $8,250,000 UFA
Gabe Jackson G $10,500,000 $7,000,000 $9,600,000 $9,600,000 $9,597,000
Marquette King P $3,050,000 $2,950,000 $2,900,000 UFA
Bruce Irvin OLB $8,250,000 $9,250,000 UFA
Marshawn Lynch RB $5,953,125 UFA
Obi Melifonwu S $1,024,859 $1,229,831 $1,434,803 UFA
Mario Edwards DE $1,914,552 UFA

A bunch of these guys didn’t exactly have the 2017 campaign that they had hoped for and are a big reason why the Raiders didn’t quite perform as expected last season. After getting paid in free agency two years ago, Sean Smith has become really bad, but the Raiders are betting on a bounce back here. Crabtree might get cut in real life, or he might not, who knows? Jon Gruden isn’t giving us any hints here. The Raiders’ best receiver should be safe, but makes it to the “more-than-likely” division due to insane coach speak. Usually a punter making it to your protected list means bad things, but Marquette King might just be the raddest player in the NFL, so making the list is good. Bruce Irvin was one of the earliest former members of the vaunted Seahawks defense. Lynch might just retire after one carry week one, who knows? The Raiders would want to keep him around as of now, especially considering he’s their only halfway decent running back under contract. Melifonwu and Edwards are talented guys on their cheap rookie contracts, so they make it (like Joseph and Conley).

 

The Leftovers:

The Conquistadors and Arches get to pick over the dregs of the Raiders roster. If they make it to the Conquistadors, they will be going from “maurading pillager” to “marauding pillager.” If they make it to the Arches, there’ll be the Raiders-Rams Los Angeles connection to consider… I guess. Or something. Here are the best players on the Raiders roster (except the first seventeen)!

Player POS. 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Jared Cook TE $5,300,000 UFA
Austin Howard RT $5,000,000 $7,500,000
Seth Roberts WR $4,450,000 $4,650,000 UFA
Cordarrelle Patterson WR $3,250,000 UFA
Clive Walford TE $2,105,626 UFA
Marshall Newhouse RT $1,750,000 UFA
Jihad Ward DE $1,510,854 $1,762,664 UFA
Jon Feliciano G $820,163 UFA
Connor Cook QB $784,972 $874,974 UFA
Eddie Vanderdoes DT $779,303 $869,303 $959,303 UFA
Dexter McDonald CB $719,214 UFA
Tevin Mitchel CB $705,000 RFA
David Sharpe T $701,603 $791,603 $881,606 UFA
DeAndre Washington RB $697,298 $787,302 UFA
Cory James ILB $663,119 $753,121 UFA
Vadal Alexander RT $649,211 $739,213 UFA
Antonio Hamilton S $631,834 RFA
Johnny Holton WR $631,668 RFA
Jalen Richard RB $630,000 RFA
Ian Silberman G $630,000 RFA
James Stone C $630,000 RFA
Darius Latham DT $630,000
Darius Latham DT $630,000 RFA
Darius Hillary CB $630,000 ERFA
Marquel Lee ILB $618,423 $708,423 $798,424 UFA
Shalom Luani S $578,603 $668,603 $758,605 UFA
Jylan Ware T $576,073 $666,073 $756,076 UFA
Treyvon Hester DT $572,150 $662,150 $752,151 UFA
Nicholas Morrow OLB $557,500 $647,500 RFA
Keon Hatcher WR $555,000 ERFA
Isaac Whitney WR $555,000 ERFA
Elijah Hood RB $555,000 ERFA
Jordan Simmons T $555,000 ERFA
Fadol Brown DE $555,000 ERFA
Shakir Soto DE $555,000 ERFA
Pharaoh Brown TE $480,000 ERFA
Joby Saint Fleur DE $480,000 ERFA
Brady Sheldon OLB $480,000 ERFA
Shaquille Richardson CB $480,000 ERFA
Andrew East LS $480,000 ERFA
Bradley Northnagel LS $480,000 ERFA

 

 

About Jeff Krisko

You can follow me on twitter, @jeffkrisko for the same lukewarm takes you read here.

View all posts by Jeff Krisko →

One Comment on “2018 Disaster Draft: The Oakland Raiders”

Leave a Reply