Raiders 2018 NFL Draft Roundup

Welcome in to the 2018 Raiders NFL Draft recap. This year's draft is in the books and quite frankly, there is a lot of mixed reactions on the Raiders' draft class of 2018. Let's go through all the picks and what I think about them based on first impressions through highlights, draft profile reading, etc.

Round 1

#15 (Trade Down with Arizona): Kolton Miller, T, UCLA

The Raiders opened up going the safe route, selecting Miller out of UCLA. I've read a couple of reports that they were pondering on taking an offensive tackle and most of them linked the Raiders to Mike McGlinchey out of Notre Dame. Clearly, the 49ers took him with the #9 overall pick, making the Raiders trade down with the Cardinals that wounded up being the Josh Rosen selection. I heard that Miller was at best a late first rounder and likely would fall further to the third round of the draft. He's what you'd expect: a big, quick footed athlete. His best strength is his pass protection. But everything else, there's nothing else special to pinpoint about him. Offensive lineman is not always a sexy pick, especially in the first round. And I thought the Raiders could've gotten better value or made a better selection to possibly help the defensive side of the ball since I heard there were a couple of good defensive prospects the Raiders missed out on during the first round. But understandably, the Raiders made the pick to replace Donald Penn in the long run and they need to help keep the "$125 million man" Derek Carr upright before he sustains another major injury in three seasons, especially playing in the AFC West filled with vaunted pass-rushers (Denver especially added coveted pass-rusher Bradley Chubb with their fifth overall pick). In the short-term, Miller is expected to solidify the right side of the O-line. In the long-term, he's gonna be Carr's blindside protector.

Martavis Bryant Acquired

This was a boom-or-bust trade that the Raiders made before the end of Day 1 of the draft. They sent a third round pick to the Steelers in order to get Martavis Bryant. At first, I was excited for this, then I realized, he's one bong hit away from indefinite suspension. On the field, he was a solid complementary deep threat receiver to Antonio Brown. But his off the field issues with weed hindered most of his career. And he fell off on the Steelers' depth chart with the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster last season. If he stays clean, he, Nelson, and Coop can form a scary trio of wide receivers since they all can stretch the field. He's also in a contract year, so that should give Bryant some extra juice to stay on the field and prove his worth. This could also spell the end of Seth Roberts. The Raiders attempted to shop Roberts around during the draft, but they couldn't find a suitor.

Round 2

#57 (Trade Down with Tennessee): P.J. Hall, DT, Sam Houston State

I was looking at his highlights provided by NFL Network/Fox's coverage of the draft and all they emphasized on P.J. Hall was him playing special teams and getting some big push up the middle to block field goals. Not the kind of highlights you want to see from a 2nd round pick coming out of Division II football. This is a selection I felt that the Raiders could've made in the later rounds. I did read about Hall's stats, racking up 42 sacks, 86.5 tackles for loss throughout his college career. I feel a little bit good about that, but Division II competition can inflate those stats just a little bit. It's not always impossible for a player to come from a Division II school and dominate the league though. Khalil Mack knows a thing or two about that. At best, he's a rotational piece in pass rush situations. But, he could make an impact on special teams. He's likely filling the void Denico Autry left behind as a rotational inside rusher and a disruptor on special teams.

Round 3

#65 (Trade with Baltimore): Brandon Parker, T, North Carolina A&T

Second straight pick that the Raiders selected a player in a Division II school. According to some scouts, Parker is still a raw talent with potential. This is a project pick that the Raiders are investing in. As I said with the Kolton Miller selection, the Raiders are beefing up the O-line to ensure that Derek Carr stays clean in the pocket and avoid any potential injury in a vaunted AFC West filled with big time pass rushing defense


#87 (Trade up with LA Rams): Arden Key, EDGE, LSU

This is the pick where I thought the Raiders finally righted the ship after a couple of safe picks and gambles in the first three rounds. I heard that Arden Key was a first round talent. Concerns about his character was the ideal reason he slipped out to the third round. As the old saying goes, you can never have too many pass rushers on the team. Highlights-wise, Key just shows absolute relentlessness in getting after the quarterback and punishing them to the ground. What stands out to me, from what I heard, is that he has an Aldon Smith-like ceiling. If he can unlock that early on, he can make up for the triple threat that was to be Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin, and Aldon Smith, but Aldon could not stay out of trouble. Clearly, the Shilique Calhoun experiment didn't work out and two years later, the Raiders are trying again to add a third pass rusher that'll keep Mack and Irvin fresh off the edge.

Round 4

#110: Nick Nelson, DB, Wisconsin

The Raiders continue the massive overhaul of the defensive backfield. When I saw quick highlights of Nelson when the pick was announced on Bleacher Report, Nelson is grabby with receivers when defending a pass. He can get away with that under college rules. But, those kinds of plays in the NFL will get Nelson flagged for PI 99.9% of the time. He'll have to clean up his technique when it comes to providing physical coverage against opposing receivers.



Round 5

#140 (Trade up with Indianapolis): Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

This is a guy whom I've read about constantly prior to the draft. And I can't believe that the Raiders were still able to get him in the fifth round. This is a steal right here. If you look at his highlights, he is the ideal interior pass rusher that the Raiders need in order to free up Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin. He provides great push up the middle and is as disruptive as can be. The reason he fell off was because teams were concerned about his heart condition. But, doctors were able to clear him, which is great news. This makes up for the Raiders passing up on Star Lotuleilei 5 years ago in the 2013 draft because of similar circumstances. The depth of the Defensive Tackle positions just a lot stronger with Justin Ellis, Mario Edwards Jr., Eddie Vanderdoes, PJ Hall, and now Maurice Hurst on board.



#173: Johnny Townsend, P, Florida

I remember reading that the Raiders had their eyes on Townsend when they cut Marquette King in the first place. Townsend set a lot of school records as a punter for the Gators, including leading the nation in punting average-yards. Nothing much to say here.







Round 6

#216: Azeem Victor, LB, Washington

Azeem Victor just has a knack to finish defensive plays. He's a hard hitter and at the same time, he knows how to wrap up and tackle. Most players looking for the big hit forget the tackling part and it drives Defensive Coordinators crazy. Victor slipped out because of off the field and weight issues. He'll need to overcome that to unlock his potential. Interesting enough, he draws comparisons to Vontaze Burfict in terms of being physical and aggressive. He certainly fits the mold of Paul Guenther's system and will look to prove that.

Round 7

#228: Marcell Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State

Ateman is your prototypical big wide receiver that can get up and grab the football, especially in the end zone. He's also a very solid route runner and has YAC potential based on his highlights. The Raiders could use a big target. They lacked that last season since they let Andre Holmes walk.










Conclusion

Day 1 and Day 2 were largely underwhelming for the Raiders. They went safe in the first round, passing over other prospects that could make an immediate impact. They picked up two small school projects early on when they could've waited into the later rounds to get them. The trade for Martavis Bryant and the Arden Key selection in the third round minimized further disappointment. But, they finished strong with their picks in Day 3, especially nabbing Maurice Hurst in Round 5. That's a big time steal right there. Justifying the draft strategy, Reggie and Gruden were focused on beefing up the trenches on both sides of the ball and lining up potential long-term replacements down the line when the veterans depart. They weren't gunning for more impact players that can help now. They believe they already have impact players on the team right now outside of the 2014 draft class. It's just that injuries and lack of coaching hindered their development. This is a boom-or-bust approach the Raiders are taking on with the personnel they have on the roster for the upcoming season.

Grade: C

Raiders 2018 Free Agency Roundup

*Running Back, Doug Martin (TB) and Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson (GB) are two of the major Free Agents the Raiders gained*

Busy week for the Raiders' front office and a whole lot of catching up to do on my part. Welcome in to the first ever Free Agency Roundup post. I scrambled across so many articles to bring this together regarding the additions, the contract details, and which of the Raiders' unrestricted free agents signed with another team. So much more here and there will be more coming in as the offseason winds on. Without further ado, let's find out who's back, who left, and who's coming in to the Silver and Black.

Departures

Thanks Sebass and Condo!

You're talking about the longest-tenured Raider and the 2nd longest-tenured Raider and both have been vital for the Special Teams unit. The Raiders are making it clear that they're going full on youth movement. It was clear with how well Giorgio Tavecchio did kicking for the Raiders last season, the end of the Sebastian Janikowski era in Oakland was inevitable. The Raiders brought in three long snappers to denote that they were not bringing back Jon Condo. Easily the fan favorites among the Raider Nation. Condo and Sebass were the lone bright spots and the most consistent players during the dark ages and the revolving constant on special teams. But, obviously they were getting old. Ironic to say considering Long Snappers and Placekickers tend to be the most durable in terms of longevity in the NFL. There's no denying their legacy as Raiders.

"All Done" Smiths

These are the first wave of releases the Raiders made in terms of freeing up cap space. They released Aldon Smith and Sean Smith, both whom are facing some serious off the field/legal issues. Aldon got involved in another domestic violence incident. Sean is about to serve time in prison for his incident back in July when he beat up his sister's boyfriend. Aldon's case is more than football. He needs serious help as disappointing as it is to say that. Raiders gave him a clean slate and soon as he's close to reinstatement, he just finds ways to mess it all up. We'll never get to see that pass-rushing trio of Aldon, Mack, and Irvin that we dreamed of since the 2016 offseason. As for Sean's case, we really don't know all the facts, we can only theorize what happened between him and his sister's boyfriend. Most say, he probably did it to protect his sister. But regardless of the issue, Sean Smith was a cut candidate from the start. He just wasn't playing up to the $40 million contract he signed during the 2016 Free Agency period. He salvaged his performance when Pagano took over as DC, but it wasn't good enough.

"Carrie" On

T.J. Carrie signed with the Cleveland Browns to a four-year $31 million deal. To me, he was one of those players who was a "must re-sign" for the Raiders. Carrie was a bright spot on a long revolving door in the secondary. He could play outside, in the slot. He could play Safety if needed. Given the contract he signed for with the Browns, it was obviously too much for the Raiders to match. The Browns have tons of cap space and they'll need all the help they can get if they want to bounce back from an embarrassing 0-16 finish last season.

Crabtree Out

I'll get to the addition of Jordy Nelson later in this post. With Nelson's arrival, the Raiders simultaneously released Michael Crabtree. This was a hot topic of debate at the end of the season whether or not Crabtree will be a cap casualty. He was arguably the Raiders' best receiver and Derek Carr's go-to-guy in the end zone in clutch situations. But, the reason why he was cut was because he turned out to be a cancer in the locker room and his relationship with Carr turned sour since the Week 3 anthem protests. Back when the Raiders signed Crabtree in the 2015 season, I knew this was gonna be an issue. Because he was the same thing during his 49er days: a diva with attitude problems. It's real unfortunate that he went back to his old ways last season after being so good in 2015 and 2016. He was also showing signs of decline with the dropped passes and he couldn't get separation anymore against defensive backs. Nonetheless, he balled out in the Silver and Black and will be sorely missed. It didn't take long for Crabtree to find a new home as he signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year deal. Too bad for NFL fans that there won't be a Talib-Crabtree trilogy this year. I think that brawl also lead to his release. Knowing Chucky, he doesn't have any tolerance for guys who put themselves above the team for their own self-interest.

*Updated 03/30/2018* The "King" is Dead

The release of Marquette King definitely made headlines. Nobody saw this coming and I didn't even see this coming. This is dubbed as a message from Chucky. We can't deny King's talent to boom one punt and pin the opposing team deep into their own end zone. But, he's known to be a show boater and a comedic personality. Sometimes most of his celebrations and social media antics bring up big trouble. Take the picture with Talib for example where they mocked Crabtree getting his chain snatched in the 2017 Pro Bowl. Or when he picked up a yellow flag and celebrated with it during the Week 13 matchup vs. Buffalo in the 2016 season. And clearly with Gruden being a no nonsense type of guy, it's clear that King's personality won't mesh well. This was also move to free up some cap space. The Raiders signed him to a five-year, $16 million deal back in the 2016 offseason. It won't be long till he finds a new home.

Other Departures

CB David Amerson - Amerson was never the same player after the contract extension. He was arguably the Raiders' best corner in 2015 after he was claimed off waivers from the Redskins. After that, he was either inconsistent or injured. Last season, he barely saw the field with the concussions and the injuries. He found a new home with a division rival, signing with the Chiefs. He has a huge void to fill after KC gift wrapped Marcus Peters to the Rams.

RT Marshall Newhouse - Arguably the lowest of the low on the Raiders' behemoth offensive line. They signed him last year for depth purposes and he took over the Right Tackle spot after Austin Howard's release. You know he is bad when he has to split time with Vadal Alexander, creating a revolving door at the RT spot. Not to mention, his best highlight: Week 9 @ Miami when he embarrassed himself on national TV, spinning in mid-air like a helicopter and fumbling the ball, leading to an almost disastrous turnover.

DE Denico Autry - Autry was a solid rotational piece on the Raiders' D-line. He could play outside and play inside if the Raiders needed more interior rushing on 3rd down plays. He was also a great on special teams. Last season, he contributed with a couple of key field goal blocks. Autry's likely gonna get an extended role playing for the Colts.

*Updated* WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson - This just happened today. The Raiders are trading him to the New England Patriots. In addition from this report, both the Pats and the Raiders are swapping their fifth round pick and sixth round pick respectively. I mean of all teams. You don't give Tom Brady and the Pats another weapon! Patterson was brought in last year to give the Raiders' a legitimate Return Specialist and a gadget player on offense. Patterson provided some clutch catch and run plays last season, but other than that, he's just a one-trick pony. Again, the Patriots have a knack to make players look good with the system they have. The last time the Raiders traded an ex-Minnesota Vikings wideout to the Patriots, it didn't look so good on their part (*cough* Randy Moss *cough*).

*Updated 03/20/2018* FB Jamize Olawale - The Raiders are sending Jamize Olawale back to the Cowboys as well as a 6th round pick for Dallas' 5th round pick. With the Raiders signing Keith Smith, that left Olawale in a limbo. My initial thought is that they were likely going to use him more as a mismatch nightmare in passing game like Marcel Reece before him. Then again, it wouldn't make sense for the Raiders to have two Fullbacks on the team. This is also likely a move to free up cap space to make room for re-signing NaVorro Bowman or another defensive All-Pro (*hint* *hint* Suh).

*Updated 03/30/2018* TE Clive Walford - He was technically released three days ago. The Raiders made it official as of today. When Walford was drafted in 2015, we had high hopes for him to develop into a big time security blanket for Derek Carr. He had a promising rookie year despite Musgrave's tendency to seldom use Tight Ends in the gameplan. But, it all went downhill when he had that ATV accident two years ago that he missed significant developmental time. When the Raiders signed Jared Cook last year, it was a sign that they're pulling the plug on the Walford experiment. With Lee Smith coming back and the Raiders signing Derek Carrier to a 3-year deal, that pretty much put the final nail in the coffin.

The Additions

Jordy In

This is the most talked about addition from the Raiders' free agency frenzy. They lose Crabtree, but gained Jordy Nelson from the Packers to a 2-year, $15 million deal. Certainly Packer fans are upset about this move as he was Aaron Rodgers' favorite go-to-receiver. But when you think about it, Davante Adams emerged as a #1 receiver. The Packers gained Jimmy Graham from the Seahawks as a big time red zone target replacement to Nelson. Two of the major differences between Nelson and Crabtree is that Nelson will be a much better veteran presence to the Raiders' young receiving core and has more consistent hands. Not to mention, Nelson has two more 1,000 yard receiving seasons than Crabtree under his belt. Again, Reggie's ties with Green Bay played a huge role in getting Jordy Nelson. Perhaps someone who played a bigger role is current Raiders Wide Receivers Coach Edgar Bennett. Bennett was the Packers' OC and wideout coach under Mike McCarthy when Nelson played there. Like Jared Cook last year, Nelson goes from catching passes from A-Rod to catching passes from "Baby A-Rod" as the nickname James Jones gave to Derek Carr during Carr's rookie season.

Beast Mode and The Muscle Hamster

Before the Jordy Nelson splash, this was the first free agent splash the Raiders made and it's a low risk, high reward type move. They sign Doug Martin from the Bucs to a one-year contract. This move had Chucky's fingerprints all over it because both he and Martin talked and apparently, Gruden came away impressed with the meeting. I can only think back to the Week 9 meeting back in 2012 when Martin ran all over the Raiders for 200+ yards and multiple TDs. He's explosive out of the backfield when he's healthy. He's had an up and down career in Tampa, mostly due to injuries. But he's had two career 1,000+ rushing yard seasons and he made the Pro Bowl in both seasons. When healthy, Martin is a significant upgrade over Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. Both Richard and Washington underperformed as change-of-pace backs to Marshawn Lynch last season. Since the signing, there was growing concern that Lynch's time is done. But, that won't happen since Lynch is about to get a roster bonus and will likely remain as the team's feature back. Of course, there's concern about having two 1,000 yards rushing runners in the same backfield. The last time the Raiders did it with Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden in 2014, it didn't work so well and they had to throw in Latavius Murray to get the run game going. Of course the namesake of this title, Marshawn Lynch's nickname is "Beast Mode" and Doug Martin's nickname is "Muscle Hamster," Gruden looks like he's directing a monster movie with this duo in the backfield. Beast Mode and The Muscle Hamster, coming soon to a Raiders game near you.

Jelly and Lee Return

Justin "Jelly" Ellis and Lee Smith are back with the Raiders after hitting the unrestricted free agent market.  Ellis gets a three-year contract extension. Lee Smith also gets a three-year contract extension. As I said in my "Season in Review" post, Justin Ellis was one of the guys I wouldn't mind if the Raiders let him walk. There will be a suitable replacement for him in the upcoming draft. But the Raiders bringing him back allows them to be versatile with their options and he'll provide good depth on the defensive line. He's a solid 2-down run stuffing DT. He did regress last season, but he should bounce back under new DC Paul Guenther. Lee Smith returning is big for the Raiders' running game. He's the best blocking Tight End on the team. Chucky is so enamored by the power running game and Lee Smith is a minor, but integral piece to getting that going along with the mammoth O-line with Penn, KO, Hudson, and Jackson.

Secondary Shore Up

The Raiders brought in three players to help out this thin secondary: Safety Marcus Gilchrist comes over from the Texans on a one-year deal. Cornerback Shareece Wright comes over from the Bills. And finally, Rashaan Melvin comes over from the Colts on a one-year deal. Addressing the secondary is the Raiders' biggest miss in past free agency periods. But, this one looks a little promising. Gilchrist is an above-average starting Safety and he should open more time for Luani and Melifonwu to develop. Wright is going to provide a veteran presence for this young, unproven secondary. Not to mention, these moves send them back to the AFC West since they were drafted by the Chargers. The signing of Rashaan Melvin grabbed the attention across Raider Nation forums. I didn't get to see much of him since the Colts were just terrible last year. But, he proved his worth during that season, emerging as the team's starting corner. If I'm reading this right, he held Antonio Brown under 100+ yards receiving. I gotta look at the tape whether or not Safety help came from the top. It sounds impressive though. I gotta hand it to him for holding down one of the receivers in the game today.

*Updated 03/24/2018* Reggie Nelson Returns

Reggie Nelson is back with the Raiders on a 1-year deal. I think all of us on Raider Nation forums agreed that Nelson is the likely free agent the Raiders should let walk away. He's showing signs of decline and lost a step this season. At the same time, I can see why the Raiders brought him back. Nelson is familiar with Paul Guenther's system when he played in Cincinnati. The year before the Raiders brought him in during the 2016 free agency period, Nelson lead the league in interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl season under Guenther. That's the reason the Raiders got Nelson as a starting Safety in the first place. Now, Nelson's purpose is to take a back seat and teach guys like Joseph, Gilchrist, Luani, and Melifonwu how to play Safety under Guenther's defense.

Other Additions

FB Keith Smith (DAL) - 2-year, $4.2 million contract. Underrated signing for the Raiders adding extra "Beef" to the power running game. Outside of the Cowboys' elite offensive line, this guy is responsible for opening up mountain lanes for Ezekiel Elliott. This signing most likely means that Jamize Olawale will show off more as a pass catching Fullback and matchup nightmare in the passing game.

LB Tahir Whithead (DET) - 3-year, $18 million contract. Whitehead is the backup plan if the Raiders lose out on retaining NaVorro Bowman. Whitehead was the Lions' best asset in stopping the run. The Raiders need all kinds of bodies at the Linebacker position, which has been a revolving door, especially at Middle Linebacker. Whitehead won't bring an enticing presence like Bowman did with the young linebackers, but he'll fit in just fine and should be an upgrade over Marquel Lee and Cory James.

DE Tank Carradine (SF) - Carradine brings depth and another rotational piece to the Raiders' D-line.

WR Griff Whalen (BAL) - It's too bad this guy's highlight is the 4th and 3 fake punt the Colts tried to do to the Patriots two seasons ago when he snapped the ball when it was five Patriots against two Colts at the Line of Scrimmage. But on the plus side, Whalen adds a camp body to give Seth Roberts serious competition for the slot receiver position.

TE Derek Carrier (LAR) - 3-year deal. I'll be honest, I forgot that he was a camp body for the Raiders a few seasons ago. Since then, he was coached under Jay Gruden and last year, Sean McVay. Of course with Jay being the brother and McVay being an understudy of Jon Gruden, Chucky must know something about Carrier's potential. With this move, the Tight End position becomes more crowded and you begin to wonder who'll get cut.

LS Andrew DePaola (TB) - He's brought in to add competition to see who's going to be Jon Condo's long-term replacement as the team's Long Snapper on Special Teams.

LB Kyle Wilber (DAL) - Special Teams Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach, Rich Bisaccia is getting a familiar face to lead the Special Teams unit. He also provides solid depth to the linebacker position.

*Updated 03/20/2018* QB Josh Johnson (HOU) - This signing was all Gruden since this guy was one of the last draftees in Gruden's last year coaching the Bucs. He's nothing more than a camp body to compete against Connor Cook for the backup job. I'm hearing he hasn't taken an NFL snap since 2013. Not to mention, he's a cousin of Marshawn Lynch.

*Updated 03/21/2018* LB Emmanuel Lamur (MIN) - He has some history with DC Paul Guenther during their time at Cincinnati. Not only is this is a depth signing for the Linebacker position, but the Raiders are getting a guy who's already familiar with the defensive system that Guenther is trying to implement.

*Updated 03/23/2018* T Breno Giocomini (HOU) - Raiders needed to beef up the Right Tackle spot after cutting Newhouse loose. Giocomini is familiar with Tom Cable and Marshawn Lynch during their tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. He knows a little thing or two in run blocking for Beast Mode. He's expected to compete against Vadal Alexander and (possibly) Denver Kirkland for the starting Right Tackle position.

*Updated 03/23/2018* QB EJ Manuel - He's back to defend the "No. 2 QB to Derek Carr" title against Connor Cook and Josh Johnson in a triple threat backup QB camp battle!

*Updated 03/30/2018* CB Leon Hall (SF) - This is another move to bring someone who's familiar with Paul Guenther's defense.


So, what do you think of the moves Raider Nation? Which signings stands out and which ones are kinda "meh" looking? Should they work to re-sign Bowman? Should they give Mack a monster contract extension already? What other moves should they make before the draft? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. I'll see you guys later.