The Las Vegas Raiders have an opportunity to finish off a home run of an offseason if they can land a few more bargain free agents before the Draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders had a truly wild ride of a 2021 regular season with off-field issues galore resulting in wholesale changes in 2022. Those changes came after a shocking playoff run as interim head coach Rich Bisaccia rallied his troops and led the Raiders to a playoff berth.
Now, with Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels coming to Las Vegas from the New England Patriots, the Raiders are poised to make even more noise in 2022 after a couple of blockbuster moves so far this offseason.
It started on the first day of the new league year when the Raiders went out and signed pass rusher Chandler Jones, almost simultaneously making a player-for-player trade with the Indianapolis Colts to send Yannick Ngakoue to Indy while acquiring cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
Then came the trade that shocked the NFL world as the Raiders acquired wide receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers, giving up both of their top two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Because of what it cost them in terms of NFL Draft capital, the Raiders may not be done making moves in free agency and there are some bargains left on the market. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of starting-caliber players that have yet to sign with teams.
Which bargain free agents could still be of interest to Ziegler and McDaniels?
Raiders bargain free agent no. 1: Stephon Gilmore, CB
At one point in time, Stephone Gilmore would have been a premier free agent acquisition.
At the age of 31 and coming off of a season in which he only played a handful of games, perhaps the league has a different consensus opinion of the one-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Stephon Gilmore is still a capable ballhawk and even after the addition of Rock Ya-Sin, the Raiders need plenty of help in the secondary to keep up with the elite quarterbacks of the AFC West.
Gilmore has obvious connections to some of the staff in Las Vegas with his time playing for the New England Patriots where he won that aforementioned DPOY award. Although he may not be the same type of playmaker he once was, Gilmore is still capable of helping out a defense and for the Raiders, he could help them create turnovers off of that great pass rush they should have up front with Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby.
Raiders bargain free agent no. 2: Justin Houston, EDGE
The veteran pass rusher Justin Houston could make a return to the AFC West to be the top backup pass rusher for Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Although he’s not the star pass rusher he once was, Houston is still an outstanding option on a limited snap count (less than 600 snaps last season).
For proof of that, just take a look at the numbers. Houston managed to rack up 24 pressures, 4.5 sacks, 12 knockdowns, and 17 QB hits on those limited snaps.
As of right now, I think the Raiders have a strong case has having maybe the best pass rush duo in the NFL, but if one of Maxx Crosby or Chandler Jones goes down, the Raiders could struggle to get them one-on-one opportunities.
A player like Justin Houston can really help with that.
The veteran has been consistent in his 30s, racking up at least a couple dozen pressures every season over the last handful of years.
Again, the numbers aren’t going to really blow anyone away, but they are valuable over the course of a season and Houston could be the ideal third option for this Las Vegas team.
Raiders bargain free agent no. 3: Bobby Massie, OT
What are the Raiders planning for the 2022 season at the right tackle position?
It appeared as though 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood was a much better fit at the guard position than he was at right tackle, but who knows what the Raiders are going to try to do with him in 2022 and a new coaching staff?
Both Leatherwood and Brandon Parker really struggled allowing pressures in the 2021 season and should not be considered legitimate starting options for 2022 against the plethora of pass rushers in this division.
Although he may not be perfect, by any means, free agent Bobby Massie could be a great fit for the Raiders and at a discounted rate.
Massie played for the Broncos last season for less than $4 million and the Raiders could get him at a very similar price for 2022, in all likelihood.
Though he’s imperfect, Massie was at least average at the tackle position for the Denver Broncos and he played in 13 of a possible 17 games last year, the most he’s played since 2018 with Chicago.
Signing Massie would give the Raiders at least a little peace of mind as they approach the 2022 NFL Draft without any first-or-second-rounds picks and at a bargain price, at that.