Raiders mailbag: Questions on draft, free agency, Derek Carr
As the NFL Scouting Combine wraps up and the Raiders get a better handle on what the draft might yield, the next step is putting together a plan for free agency.
As it all unfolds, their fans have plenty of questions.
Here is a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:
ledtear ن(@ledtear): I am getting the impression that the new staff is about “best player available” in the draft and relying on coaching to use what they have in the best way. Would you agree?
VINCENT BONSIGNORE: Yes. Granted, there is some inevitability to combining both the best player available philosophy and drafting to fill needs. But the smart teams are able to straddle that line while keeping in mind both objectives.
With this front office in particular, though, it will be interesting to see if they build a draft board simply reflecting their feelings on the best players from A to Z — and remain true to it — or if they construct a board that reflects not only their thoughts on the best players available but also their specific needs.
Some of that will be balanced out by what they do in free agency, as well.
Bo and Scout’s handler (@Sdizzy_2): What free-agent signing do you see as the biggest need?
VB: The offensive line jumps out here. The Raiders could use some experience in and around young players like Alex Leatherwood and Andre James. There is definitely a scenario in which they add a new right tackle and left guard, with the latter brought in to push third-year guard John Simpson.
OlyRaider (@Raiders8113): Is Josh McDaniels going to use/keep a fullback?
VB: The Patriots typically had a fullback on the roster, and over the last three years, it’s been Jakob Johnson. That bodes well for Raiders fullback Alec Ingold, who by all accounts is progressing nicely from the knee he injured last season and is on track to be on the field when training camp opens.
G.F.Y.M. (@tnez822000): Are Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler planning to build within the draft or use free agency?
VB: It will definitely be a combination of both, although it probably wouldn’t be a surprise, early on, if they dip into the free-agent market to bring in veterans with a firm understanding of what the Raiders are doing on offense and defense. It would expedite the transition process and also serve as a teaching tool for the holdover players.
E (@Ematikz1): Do the Raiders take a star in the first round or a player that needs major development under the new regime?
VB: At pick No. 22, the Raiders will select the player they believe offers the best option to get on the field as quickly as possible to provide the highest possible level of play. But like any rookie, there will be a development element as well.
B.A.Raider (@RaidersLogic): Do you see Cle Ferrell as a better fit in this new defensive scheme that may require larger bodies upfront?
VB: It just depends on what the scheme looks like. That said, one good thing about a coaching change is it creates a clean slate for holdovers to prove themselves to a new staff. One way or another, though, expect Ferrell to get some clarity on where he stands with this staff.
Raiders will win it all one day soon (����@Raiderinmyveins): Do you think the Derek Carr contract gets done or he’s playing on the last year of his deal
VB: It just seems unlikely, for both the team and Carr, for him to go into next season in a lame-duck contract situation. By extending Carr’s contract, the Raiders can still use 2022 as a way to assess his overall fit. If it works, great. If for some reason it isn’t a fit, they would be well-positioned to trade him for a viable return as the team trading for him would have some certainty on the contract.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.
