Free Agent Values Still Available For The Oakland Raiders
By Justin Smith
The first week of free agency is in the books, and there is still some value to be had on the market for Reggie McKenzie and the Oakland Raiders.
After the initial flurry of free agent activity died down, Raider Nation was left scratching their heads at what Reggie McKenzie was doing. Or not doing. The Oakland Raiders had 13 unrestricted free agents, and rather than re-sign ANY of them, they’ve all been given freedom to test the market. Many of those 13 have so far have gone one to sign with other teams, with the “Tay-Train” being the latest.
The Raiders re-signed Seth Roberts and have signed backup offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse. They then made their second offseason addition in Cordarrelle Patterson, and have since added Jared Cook and E.J. Manuel.
Many of Raider Nation’s coveted free agents have signed elsewhere. But Reggie has made his bones building this team through the draft and through effective, not big-splash, free agent signings. Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson excepted, o-line signings don’t have the same glitz as a wide receiver or defensive end. Reggie is about substance, not headlines.
To that end, there are still a few excellent players out there that fit the Raiders’ major needs at defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker, and offensive line depth.
Who are they? Here are a couple of names still available that could be a fit for the Raiders.
Nickell Roby-Coleman, CB
Now that Reggie’s first-ever first-round pick — the much-maligned D.J. Hayden — has moved on to the Lions, the Raiders are in need of a nickel corner to play the slot.
The Lions saw enough in him to award him a one-year prove it deal — but they gave him $5.25M. Raider Nation certainly had some thoughts on this…
But with the loss, the Raiders need someone to replace Hayden in the slot. The aptly named Nickell Roby-Coleman could be just the man to do that.
Signed as a UDFA in 2013 by the Bills, Robey-Coleman has been a solid nickel and slot corner. He received an overall grade of 78.6 from PFF, which is better than bigger names like Brandon Flowers, Micah Hyde, Dre Kirkpatrick and Robert Alford.
In fact, he had a better overall coverage grade than more celebrated teammates Stephon Gilmore (who signed a mega-deal with the Patriots) and Ronald Darby.
The knock on Robey-Coleman is his size. He’s a small dude at 5’8” and 165 pounds, but he plays much bigger than that. In only 539 snaps in 2016, he posted 35 tackles with two INTs, one a pick-six.
Robey-Coleman, with salary and bonuses, made $1.225 M last season. His cut saved the Bills about $1.65M in cap space for 2017. The market is set a little higher this year with the Gilmore deal, but Coleman should still come in around the $2M per season mark.
His production, Raider need, and price tag are all right for this connection to happen. Plus, as a former USC Trojan and Florida native, he probably would be happy to get back to some warmer weather. This is a perfect and typical value-based, low-profile signing that fills a need. That’s Reggie all the way.
Gerald Hodges, ILB
The Raiders lost Malcolm Smith the 49ers, but an essential trade for Hodges would be an upgrade. Hodges is younger, more productive with the snaps he’s played, and better in coverage. He’s also cheaper.
Hodges is only 26 years old, and is coming off a season where he made just $1.7M. He is affordable, young, and an excellent downhill player against the run.
Raider Nation was hoping Zach Brown would be the player to upgrade the linebacker corps, and while he is the best inside linebacker left on the market, he left Oakland without a deal. So that option might be off the table.
But Hodges, at least on film against the run and grade-wise at Pro Football Focus, is comparable to some of the top ILBs in the NFL.
Besides, for depth purposes having both Hodges and Brown on the roster couldn’t hurt. Hodges is also an experienced special teams player, which would help ease the losses of Daren Bates and Brynden Trawick.
Hodges has had some issues, which is a Raider no-no. But Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin are strong leaders. A young, hungry LB like Hodges is unlikely to come in and be a knucklehead. Particularly in a locker room with strong leaders and an established culture.
Hodges had 83 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions in 2016. This despite playing in only 584 snaps throughout the season, the equivalent of about 9 games. He is a young, athletic backer who plays the run very well, but has the versatility to rush the passer and cover tight ends in space.
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With Dont’a Hightower gone, Brown is the next-best option. The Raiders would do well to re-sign Perry Riley as well. This could leave Hodges on the outs, but his age, production, and price tag all point to a player that could be a steal. And he wouldn’t even have to look for a new house.