Oakland Raiders: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time
28. . RB. (2001-03). Charlie Garner. 6. player
The final running back on this ranking, Charlie Garner comes in just outside the top-5, but only slightly. As is normally the case with running backs, Garner bounced around the NFL.
In the seven seasons prior to joining the Raiders, Garner spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and across the bay with the San Francisco 49ers. Following his three-year spell with Oakland, Garner finished his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When Garner joined the Raiders in 2001, it was hoped that he would be the final piece of the puzzle and would help push the Raiders to the Super Bowl. Pairing with Tyrone Wheatley, Garner did just that.
In three seasons, Garner put up some incredible numbers. He rushed for 2,354 yards on 513 attempts, enough for a ridiculous 4.6 yards per carry. But Garner provided value in the passing game as well, tallying 211 receptions for 1,905 yards. An absurd 4,259 all-purpose yards in three seasons, Garner was simply incredible for the Silver and Black.
After losing in the Super Bowl, the Raiders regressed heavily. Garner left after that season, but he was already over the dreaded age of 30.
His time in Oakland may have been somewhat short-lived in comparison to some others on this list, but he did more than enough to be named one of the Raiders’ best free acquisitions of all-time.