There have been plenty of mistakes via free agency for the Oakland Raiders, but Aaron Brooks and Javon Walker were recently named two of the biggest of this century.
The Oakland Raiders were looking for a quarterback heading into the 2006 NFL season, and decided to go after Drew Brees. Brees, however, had other things in mind, signing with the New Orleans Saints, where he has become an absolute legend in the Bayou.
For Oakland, they would have to settle for a former Saints quarterback, as they signed Aaron Brooks to be their starter for the 2006 season. Brooks, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers before becoming a starter in New Orleans, was coming off a 2005 season that saw him throw for nearly 2,900 yards in only 13 starts, though he did have a 13-to-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Late in that 2005 season, Brooks was benched in favor of Todd Bouman, ending his run as the starter in New Orleans. The Raiders picked up the released Brooks with every intention of making him their starter, and he won the job out of camp.
In his first start with Oakland, he was sacked nine times against the San Diego Chargers, and it was all downhill from there. After dislocating his shoulder in Week 2, and being replaced by Andrew Walter, Brooks returned to the lineup late in the year, but the Raiders still finished with a 2-14 record.
In fact, Brooks went 0-8 in games he appeared in, and the 2-14 record was enough to give the Raiders a coveted No. 1 overall selection. However, we all know how that turned out, as the No. 1 overall pick in 2007 was LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, arguably the biggest bust in NFL history.
Because of this, Brooks was recently named one of the worst free agent signings of this century, coming in at No. 24 overall in NFL Spin Zone’s Randy Gurzi’s list of the top-30.
Wide receiver Javon Walker came in even higher, named the fifth-worst free agent signing this century, after he was given a massive contract by the Raiders, and managed only 15 catches over two years.
Brooks never played in the NFL again after his stint with Oakland, and his poor play started a domino effect that led to the drafting of Russell, and only one winning season since. While Brooks’ run in Oakland was short, it made a lasting impact on the franchise, while Walker’s stint did not have nearly the same ripple effect.