Raiders 2010 Free Agent Wishlist: Defense
Written by Levi "Dizzle" Damien   
Friday, 12 February 2010 23:38
NFL Football: Raiders vs. Patriots DEC 14, 2008

Yesterday I put together the Raider wish list for the offense. Now it is time to get defensive.

The run defense was a little better this season for the Raiders. Which isn't saying a lot considering how truly terrible it has been in recent years. But it still needs some work. The line is not complete and the line backing corps needs some tweaking, shifting, and upgrading.

There won't be a lot of free agent movement this year due to the fact that without a collective bargaining agreement, most free agents are restricted. Add to that, the fact that teams will be allowed a franchise tag and a transition tag and there could be half as many players on the market as there would be otherwise. This will also drive the price up on the remaining free agents. The result is some bloated contracts for some average players.

But, the Raiders can still hope and still wish. Here are a few of those players that will be dancing in their heads come the free agent signing period:

Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots, UFA

Wilfork has come out and said that he would not be happy if the Patriots placed the franchise tag on him. And he probably wasn't none to pleased to see his linemate Richard Seymour get traded away unexpectedly. There appears to be some serious discontent with Wilfork in New England. The Patriots have proven time and time again that their conceit causes them to let players that want a pay raise, walk or be traded. Seymour has said that he is happy with the Raiders and refused to play for the Patriots again. No doubt Seymour and Wilfork will be speaking about that soon if they haven't already. Wilfork is exactly what the Raiders need to take the place of a the sub-par play of Gerard Warren.

Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders, UFA

Sure he is already a Raider. But he is a free agent and if he weren't a Raider, could you think of a player that you would rather see them sign than Richard Seymour? If the Raiders hadn't traded for him last offseason, they would still be desperate for a stalwart defensive end who can stop the run. So they got him. We know he will be back. Now they need to make sure they keep him for a long time.

Kedric Golston, Washington Redskins- Restricted FA (UFA-CBA)
Tank Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, UFA

I put these two together because I had both of them on the Raiders wish list last season and I still think they should sign them. Instead, the Raiders went after Golston's teammate Ryan Boschetti. And after Cable gushed about the acquisition all off-season, he cut him prior to the season. He should have signed Golston all along and now he will have another chance. Tank Johnson may not have played spectacular for the Bengals but he will still be an upgrade. Or at very least a valuable cog in rotation.

Barrett Ruud, Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Restricted FA (UFA-CBA)

It is unlikely that the Bucs will let Ruud get away. Especially with all the cap room they have this offseason after purging their roster last year. But I must put Ruud on this list because he would be the perfect free agent pick up by the Raiders. Ruud is one of the league's best pure tacklers, has great instincts and is a tremendous leader-- all of which are desperately needed in Oakland. I also would not rule out the possibility that he could leave Tampa. There has been no movement in the direction of a long-term deal for him since the season ended so it is hard to say what the future holds.

DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans- Restricted FA (UFA-CBA)

Ruud would be rad but Ryans would be really nice too. The former rookie of the year has held down the middle linebacker spot for the Texans from his first game. He would be quite a coup for any team that could pry him away from the Texans. Money talks and Al Davis will shell it out for the right player.

Gary Brackett, Indianapolis Colts, UFA

Brackett will be looking to sign his final NFL contract this off-season. He is an unrestricted free agent after playing his entire career with the Colts. He won a Super Bowl with them and after making the big game again and losing, he could decide it's time to move on. He has his ring, now he could be looking for some bling.

CLICK HERE to see the Wishlist for the OFFENSE



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Comments (10)Add Comment
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written by nilbymouth, February 13, 2010
If we could get DeMeco Ryans I would be ecstatic. It wouldn't bother me in the least even if it took us our 1st rand 3rd round picks to sign him due to having the highest level of tender put on him by the Texans, as I have said in previous posts. If we can't sign Ryans, both Rudd and Brackett would also be great additions, as well as Karlos Dansby.

I think there are also quite a few more D-lineman that we might be able to nab that would make great pickups are:
Aaron Kampman
Elvis Dumervil (if only to get him away from the Broncos)
Ray Edwards
Johnny Jolly
Aubrayo Franklin
Ryan Pickett
Tony Brown

Not to mention Julius Peppers.
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written by manuel, February 13, 2010
the problem is al davis is a dumb ass
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written by ryan55, February 13, 2010
The Raiders should et rid of jamarcuss and resign richard seymour and if they have more money try getting another good linebacker or maybe elvis dumervil
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written by Leo Rios, February 13, 2010
Seriously could care less about a LB we have been needing a DT for a long long time tired of getting ran on
Stop the run.
written by DevonRaiderUK, February 14, 2010
I dont think Dumervil should be a consideration here. He's a great pass rushing end but that's not a priority right now. We need a DT and at least one LB. Ryans would be an awesome addition. I just cant see the the Texans letting him go.
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written by JSpicoli, February 14, 2010
Pearce and Porter, but what we really need is OLine. I wuoldn't care if they did nothing on D, and added 3 or 4 o-linemen.
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written by jaysraiduzzz, February 14, 2010
it would be great to have several of these guys.............but it is not realistic! what we should focus on is drafting better talent from the start, so we develop our own studs - that is what is missing in this organization, our draft successes are too few and infrequent over the last 10 plus years; and besides we will have a hard time convincing players to come here considering the fact we have the worst QB in the entire history football!
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written by Grilla RFL, February 15, 2010
Rolondo McClain 1st round and either Wilfork via free agency or Cody in the draft. Defense is set if we can keep everyone else. Both 3rd's and fourth OT, OT, OG 5th FB, and the offense is set. 7th CB/return man special teams is set. Everybody needs to leave Mr. Davis alone. Did he make some mistakes hiring coaches in the last seven years? He is still the best football mind in the business. Tom Cable may not be the best coach, but he is not bad. The players like him, and he provides some continuity. It is going to turn around
Jeeze
written by LbC Raider Fan, February 16, 2010
I say for ONE.... KEEP Richard Seymour!... If we can get another one of these great defensive players great! I wanna see Seymoour come back cuz he actually embraced his role! He even gauranteed the Raiders would make the play offs last season (I didnt believe it lol) just the fact that he had that mentality really made me like him more! I think he would be a player that wants to stay for the team and to help! Hes got his Ring hes made alot of money... Now he wants to help a down team! Tom Cable wasnt a great Coaching choice.... personally I was hoping for them to at LEAST interview Herm Edwards.... But of course with MY beloved raiders nothing I hope/wish for has happened in a LONG time.... All in All I still believe that Jamarcus Is, Has Been, and will continue to be a BUST!!..... Lets try to Get Vick Or Kolb out in Oaktown!!!!
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written by nilbymouth, February 19, 2010
We do not want Vick and we do not want Mountain Cody. Kolb for sure but will never happen, and shouldn't happen untill we have a solid OL.

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