Now that free agency's slowed down and we can all take a breath, it's time to gear up and get really angry again. We're in the ... third? ... wave of free agent signings, and The Discourse has turned into "best fits for former first-rounders" which is just fancy SEO speak for "guys who are washed."
Fortunately for fans in Las Vegas, "guys who are washed" are a bit of a Raiders specialty. To their credit, Pete Carroll and John Spytek have done an intriguing job of re-tooling the roster in their first offseason in charge, and now it's not *totally* unbelievable that the Raiders make some noise next season.
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Like all teams, though, they could still use A Guy or two. Finding bargains is the name of the game between now and the Draft, and ESPN put together a nice list of bargains that are still out there. And the best part? One of those names will be awfully familiar to Raiders fans. (Maybe 'best' is overselling it a bit.)
ESPN thinks the Raiders would be a good fit for FA WR Amari Cooper
"One year earlier, Cooper made it to the Pro Bowl with a 1,250-yard season for the Browns. Despite missing the final two games of the season, he was comfortably one of the league's best receivers ... He's probably looking at a one-year deal in the same range as that of Williams or DeAndre Hopkins ($5 million), and he would be a logical target for teams that need a veteran to help out their quarterback. Teams in need of an outside receiver with some physicality should be in the market for Cooper, a list which includes a pair of his former employers."
I mean, I don't hate it. Maybe Cooper just doesn't have it anymore, but that's just fine if he's only on a one-year deal. There aren't any more major, cap-strangling contracts to be handed out this offseason, which makes my patience for dart-throwing skyrocket. Anything's possible on a one-year deal! There's a nice, heart-warming Cooper reunion narrative just sitting right there for the Raiders, if they want it. Sign Cooper, draft Tetairoa McMillan, and the Raiders are in business. See? Team-building isn't that hard (coughTomTelescocough).