Five Free Agents the Oakland Raiders Should NOT Target
Sep 7, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy (76) during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
4. Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy is actually not a bad pick, in a football sense. The five-year vet will be 27 when the season begins, and has logged two consecutive seasons with 11 or more sacks in his career, including his 15-sack Pro Bowl season in 2013 that earned him a Franchise tag in Carolina in 2014. He’s one of the better pass rushing defensive ends in the league, and could very well take over for Justin Tuck in the 5-technique role on the strong side of the Raider defense.
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Unfortunately, Greg Hardy played only one game last season and then spent the rest of the year suspended after being charged with domestic violence. And while his criminal charges were recently dropped, the stain of that charge will remain on him, and the NFL in 2015 is not exactly comfortable with players who have recent allegations of domestic violence. Hardy’s case was not dismissed because he was exonerated, but rather because the accuser in the case had settled a civil suit with him and likely agreed to discontinue cooperating with the prosecution in the criminal trial.
Reggie McKenzie is not like Al Davis, who frequently brought in players with past off-field issues and built teams of misfits and cast-offs. While McKenzie might use a late-round draft pick on a player with a few maturity questions, he is already cautious enough with his cap money in free agency dealings – spending money on a player with a recent allegation of domestic violence might be a bridge too far for the Raider GM.
Also, Hardy has some competition, as the 2015 free agency class is pretty deep with defensive line talent. as is the 2015 draft class. While Hardy likely won’t get another $13M per year payday (his 1-year Franchise tag salary last year) in free agency, he can probably still get a nice paycheck, but that paycheck won’t be coming from the Raiders.
Next: Name to Avoid #5: Rolando McClain