The Las Vegas Raiders had the cap space to start the free agency tampering period with a bang. So far, that hasn’t been the case, but that’s alright.
The Raiders haven’t made any blockbuster deals and that in itself is quite smart. Last year, they began the tampering period with a wham when they agreed to a four-year contract with Trent Brown. They later ended up getting defensive back LaMarcus Joyner and wide receiver Tyrell Williams.
Raiders Blog: Team maneuvers early free agency period well
This year, Las Vegas did a 180° turn as they have only negotiated contracts with Nick Kwiatkoski and Marcus Mariota. Certainly not the impact deals many expected as soon as the offseason started. Instead of getting Anthony Harris or Chris Jones, the Raiders brought in Tahir Whitehead’s replacement and a backup quarterback or veteran mentor (it depends on who you talk to).
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Signing a solid linebacker and a clipboard holder won’t invigorate Raider Nation, but we have to remember that free agency hasn’t even started yet. The Raiders are still linked to Chris Harris and until Tom Brady signs with someone else, the possibility of him wearing Silver and Black shouldn’t be dismissed. Moreover, general manager Mike Mayock has to get some praise thrown his way as he hasn’t made any reckless or desperate signings.
Sometimes the deals an NFL team doesn’t make are as important as the ones they make. The one that comes to mind is the Saints passing on getting Daunte Culpepper. The same goes for Bill Belichick and the list of players the Patriots have opted not to re-sign. In relation to the Raiders, they had a chance at Byron Jones, but they decided to not to pay premium for him. The same goes for Kyle Van Noy, who reached an agreement with the Dolphins. Instead of giving retail compensation to one or two players, they can get undervalued players for less money.
Let’s now hope the Raiders keep employing the same strategy and refrain from signing the likes of Robby Anderson, Jadeveon Clowney, who are fine players, but could force Las Vegas to break the bank.
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