To put it bluntly and succinctly, the Las Vegas Raiders did not have a functional offense last season. The blame for that is widespread, but at the core of it was an offensive line that allowed a league-high 64 sacks and regularly left Ashton Jeanty to his own devices in an effort to find running room.
With quarterback Fernando Mendoza presumably coming in via the first overall pick in April's draft, protecting him is a top priority for the Raiders this offseason. That also means three starters on the offensive line should be replaced, with only Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson as holdovers.
Fortunately, the Raiders have both the salary cap space and the draft capital to build a proper fortress around their incoming young quarterback. Free agency will come before the draft, so Las Vegas is likely to begin addressing the unit with a slew of veterans.
Raiders matched with $60 million solution to their offensive line woes
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report has named a top free agency priority for each team with a new head coach, and matched those teams with a player to fill that need. The Raiders are, of course, on the list, with Klint Kubiak coming aboard as head coach as soon as it can be made official.
Kay, obviously, tabbed fixing the offensive line as the top offseason priority for the Raiders and Kubiak. He chose veteran Buffalo Bills guard David Edwards as the free agent that Las Vegas should target.
"David Edwards has been a valuable piece of the Buffalo Bills' offensive line for the past three seasons and is poised to cash in with a big payday. The Raiders can certainly afford to make the splashy signing, boasting an estimated $87.8 million in cap room this offseason.
"Edwards is arguably the top guard on the market, and while he's going into an age-29 campaign and may have peaked already, he'll bring some much-needed stability and discipline to a Vegas squad that sorely needs those traits."
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Edwards has started 32 games for the Bills at left guard over the last two seasons, and if not for resting in Week 18 each time, it would be 34. Over the course of his career, 69 of his starts have come at left guard.
This season, he was Pro Football Focus' 22nd-highest graded guard with the 12th-best pass blocking grade at the position. By comparison, the misaligned Dylan Parham was PFF's 38th-ranked guard with the 42nd-best pass blocking grade as the Raiders' primary left guard this season.
Spotrac has Edwards' market value set at $19.9 million per year, with a three-year, $59.7 million projected contract. While that seems steep, the recent boom in the guard market allows guys with Edwards' experience to get paid handsomely.
And for the Raiders, money should be no object when it comes to fortifying the offensive line this offseason.