Oakland Raiders: Free Agency Spending Plan

Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton (98) reacts to a play during the first quarter of the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Pot Roast

We may as well start off with a bang. Many Raiders fans have been drooling over Suh all offseason and they want him extremely bad. If you follow me on Twitter, you will know very well that I believe the likelihood that the Raiders sign Suh to be next to none. For one the Raiders would likely have to take a 25 million dollar cap hit or so in the first season to properly front load the deal.

Secondly, they would have to massively overpay due to states taxes, cost of living, and recent stink. Thirdly, unlike Terrance Knighton, Suh does not have a connection with anyone in Alameda giving the Raiders additional leverage to close a deal.

Beyond all that, Jack Del Rio’s first positional coaching job was a linebackers coach for the Ravens in 1999. He was on staff for that amazing 2000 Ravens defense which centered around two nose tackles in a 4-3 defense. He brought that mentality to the Jaguars and had some sucess with the combination of Stroud and Henderson. In Oakland he already has Justin “Jelly” Ellis, and adding a player such as Terrance Knighton would give him the perfect dual nose tackles. Plus the knickname combination potential is off the charts. Jelly Pot Roast? Sounds gross, looks great.

Knighton may have backed off his original Twitter poistion of saying he will follow Del Rio wherever, but that has more to do with his agent wanting him to shut his mouth for leverage purposes. Knighton has always been seriously underpaid and even in Denver played for a modest three million dollars a season. The Broncos are a team with some significant cap space, about 27 million dollars if we are working off a $140 million dollar cap figure, but a big chunk of that will go when they try to resign Demaryius Thomas which will limit their ability to resign other key players such as Knighton.

Contract: Somewhere between Atkins and Williams. 4 years, $32 million, $17 guaranteed, with guarantees in front part of the contract. No significant front loading needed.

Next: FA Target #2: Julius Thomas