Raiders GM: It's good not having 'to beg' free agents to come to Oakland
Optimism is building in Oakland. And finally, the Raiders can sign free agents without begging.
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2 min read
Long gone are the days of the Raiders' ineptitude. Thanks to some skillful drafting, the Raiders are finally in possession of young core of players who are worthy of recognition around the league.
Khalil Mack finished second in the league last year with 15 sacks. Derek Carr threw 32 touchdowns and secured his first Pro Bowl spot. Wide receiver Amari Cooper caught six touchdowns and also went to his first Pro Bowl in his first season.
Now, the Raiders are adding key pieces that can contribute to an eventual playoff run. Bruce Irvin came over from Seattle. Cornerback Sean Smith signed with the Raiders. So did guard Kelechi Osemele. Suddenly, players actually want to come to Oakland -- a new phenomenon that isn't lost on Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.
Because, finally, McKenzie doesn't have to be the one who does all the dialing. He doesn't have to beg free agents to sign with the Raiders.
"It's good to see people call us and not always have to beg," McKenzie said Saturday night, per the Bay Area News Group's Jerry McDonald. "I think people can see what we're doing. I think our players, they're showing on the field, and players talk to each other. We had a handful of guys play in the Pro Bowl. It's a strong fraternity within the NFL. Guys interact."
Speaking of interaction: Irvin is doing is best to make sure the Raiders land another big-time player in free agency. Shortly after signing with the team, Irvin began recruiting ex-Chargers safety Eric Weddle on Twitter to join him in Oakland. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Weddle has offers from four teams and will respond on Monday. And if the Raiders land Weddle -- look out.
Regardless, the Raiders might already be in a position to make a run at the playoffs. Carr is entering his third season and could be poised for even more growth -- the same can be said for Cooper, who just wrapped up his rookie season. As for their new additions, Irvin figures to add a second pass-rushing threat to work alongside Mack, Smith bolsters a secondary that just lost Charles Woodson to retirement, and Osemele should keep their franchise quarterback upright.
So yeah, things are certainly trending in the right direction after a decade of having "the Raiders" written in the same sections and sentences as "the Browns." Now, words like "playoffs" and "contenders" accompany the Raiders.
And, they still might not be done adding.
"This thing will probably go through the draft," McKenzie said. "You never know when guys are ready to sign. There are still guys getting released. We're always going to be attacking. If we see someone that can help, we're going after him."
