Raiders legacy of second chances continues in free agency

The Raiders, regardless of city, have always had a legacy and history of bringing in outcasts and giving second chances. That trend continues this offseason.

Throughout their long, colorful history, the Oakland/Los Angeles/back to Oakland/now Las Vegas Raiders have always prided themselves on giving players second chances. Some call them “outcasts” or maybe even “renegades”. The Raiders, however, called them family. That legacy has continued in the 2020 offseason.

The Raiders didn’t lose many players to “splash” signings while also not exactly making many themselves. They did, however, give a few players either second chances or a new lease on aging life. The moves can be low-risk, very high-reward.

Not many are expecting Marcus Mariota to take the Raiders to the Super Bowl, especially after being benched for Ryan Tannehill midseason with the Titans. Then again, nobody expected Jim Plunkett to do much of anything either.

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In all seriousness, though, the competition at the quarterback position between Mariota and Derek Carr should push each signal-caller to bring out their best. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to nip at a player’s heels to help them improve and make a necessary leap, be it Mariota or Carr who makes that jump.

Future Hall-of-Fame tight end Jason Witten‘s best years are behind him but he’s looking to join a legacy of great players at the position in Raiders history. He won’t be the No. 1 option at the position. However, Witten will be a mentor and veteran that the locker room could use, especially for someone like Darren Waller coming off of his breakout 2019 campaign.

Witten’s former teammate with the Cowboys, safety Jeff Heath, is also heading to Vegas. He was oft-criticized in Dallas but has shown flashes. His aggressive style of play would mesh well with Johnathan Abrams, who will make his regular-season debut in 2020 after a preseason injury derailed his rookie campaign. This provides another potential ex-Cowboy to Raider mentorship.

Speaking of criticism, that brings us to Nelson Agholor. His case of the drops was the subject of much scrutiny in Philadelphia and in the NFL world at large. Part of that was the high-profile nature of many drops but also simply because that’s how Eagles fans do business; you mess up, they’ll let you hear about it.

Agholor did have a very good year in 2017, a season in which the Eagles won their first and only Super Bowl. He, along with Tyrell Williams and Hunter Renfrow, provides a solid trio of targets in the Las Vegas offense. Should the Raiders draft a receiver, this signing can only be better if he isn’t a WR1.

All signings are, technically, “castoffs” but, of course, not every signing is equal. The Raiders did sign some quality players that weren’t seen as damaged goods, such as linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatowski, both of whom should definitely contribute right away and fill a big need.

Even still, the Raiders’ willingness to take on “damaged goods” is a thread throughout the history of the silver and black. Ken Stabler is the only quarterback the franchise drafted that led them to one of their Super Bowl appearances. And countless other players have fit that mold for this organization. There’s not a 100 percent success rate but it’s been a way of doing business.

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While some fans may be frustrated at the lack of “splash” signings, the fact is the Raiders have made quality low-risk, high-reward signings that match how the team built their legacy. This, along with the vast improvement the team made last year coinciding with a plethora of picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, should have fans looking forward to the future while smiling at the past.

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