The Las Vegas Raiders made some big moves on the first day of free agency but also lost some key contributors as well. Much of the focus went on running back Josh Jacobs who joined the Green Bay Packers, but he isn’t the only starter who won’t be back with the team next year.
Obviously, the Raiders are looking to take that next step and get back into playoff contention, and they have to figure out the right pieces that will help them accomplish that goal. That often means making some tough decisions on current players and whether or not to keep them.
One player who won’t be back is defensive tackle Bilal Nichols as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Nichols agreed to a three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals:
Nichols started all 17 games for the Raiders last season and finished the year with 48 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. But with the team adding Christian Wilkins in free agency, Nichols became expendable, and Wilkins should be able to more than match his production.
The Raiders also experienced a loss on the other line as tackle Jermaine Eluemunor agreed to a two-year deal with the New York Giants, via Ian Rapaport of NFL Network:
Eluemunor had been the Raiders starting right tackle over the past two seasons and was relatively reliable on that side. But the team clearly felt that there are better options they can bring in and weren’t willing to pay the price the Giants did.
There will always be some losses in free agency, the Raiders simply have to believe that they are in a better position now, letting these players go, than they were last year.
Raiders re-sign center Andre James in free agency
While the Raiders let a couple of starters in the trenches leave during free agency, they didn’t let everyone go. It was announced that starting center Andre James agreed to re-sign with the Raiders on a three-year deal.
Shoring up their offensive line is something the Raiders need to do this offseason, but they clearly feel that James is a keeper and will be a big part of the team’s offensive line going forward.
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