Oakland Raiders: 5 2018 free agency targets in-house

Times are changing within the Oakland Raiders organization. The Silver and Black will have a new head coach on Tuesday in a familiar face. That’s right, former ESPN football analyst Jon Gruden will leave the Monday Night Football booth to come back and coach the Raiders for a second time.

He is putting together a strong coaching staff already. Gruden has in place his three coordinators in defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, offensive coordinator Greg Olson and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia. Look for Gruden to make a few more big hires to round out his staff in the coming days.

With no one expected to be back in Oakland in 2018 from Jack Del Rio‘s staff, it remains to be seen how Gruden and general manager Reggie McKenzie will handle the NFL Draft and free agency. Oakland has three picks in the top 100, but it will be interesting to see who they bring back and who they don’t in terms of free agency.

According to Spotrac, the Raiders have 11 players hitting free agency this spring. Some of the names you will find there have been big contributors to the Silver and Black’s cause the last few years. While we should anticipate most of them signing elsewhere due to the coaching regime change, here are five soon-to-be free agents of the Raiders Oakland could consider bringing back in 2018.

Gruden likes quarterbacks. Having Derek Carr in place as the starter is a huge reason Gruden left the ESPN booth to come back and coach the Raiders. The two bonded at Gruden’s QB Camp ahead of the 2014 NFL Draft, where Carr went in the second round. That being said, it is important to have a serviceable backup in place. Maybe it wasn’t just a one-year thing with EJ Manuel with the Raiders?

Manuel left the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft in the Buffalo Bills for the Raiders last offseason. The idea was that he was buried behind Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo. With a regime change in Orchard Park and his former Bills quarterbacks coach in Todd Downing now running the Raiders offense, it seemed like a wise move for him and the Raiders.

Manuel did play roughly six quarters in 2017. He filled in decently for the Raiders after Carr broke a transverse process in his back in Week 4’s loss to the Broncos. Manuel had the Raiders within a score of winning at Mile High. He would start at home in Week 5 versus the Baltimore Ravens, but the team shot itself in the foot too early in the ball game for Manuel to mount a comeback.

Overall, Manuel is a middle of the pack backup and could be decent if forced into a spot start. He plays with poise in the pocket, but struggles with his accuracy. Expect the Raiders to test the backup quarterback market this spring. Gruden may like third-stringer Connor Cook in-house, but there is a chance Manuel comes back for a second year with the Raiders, although not overly likely.