Not a lot of obvious fits
With the draft in the books, the NFL free-agent market, which is in its third wave, has been slowly picking up.
We will likely continue to see some movement in the coming weeks as teams work further into their offseason programs and try to fill remaining holes. There are still 10 remaining free agents (who were unrestricted free agents and not released by the team) from the 2021 Las Vegas Raider’s roster who are available and looking for jobs.
They are: Running back Jalen Richard, linebacker K.J. Wright, guard Richie Incognito, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, center Nick Martin, defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, tight end Derek Carrier, cornerback Desmond Trufant, running back Peyton Barber and defensive tackle Darius Philon.
None of them are likely to return to Las Vegas. but you can never close the door. Yes, the Raiders visited with linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on Monday, but he was cut and not an unrestricted free agent, so he’s not part of this list.
Philon visited with the new Raiders’ staff prior to the draft. But the team, which has targeted defensive tackles all offseason and drafted two, so there may not be much room. Philon, who suffered a knee injury in Week 18 and missed the Raiders’ playoff game, also recently visited with the Colts, where Gus Bradley is the defensive coordinator. Philon played for Bradley for both the Los Angeles Chargers and Raiders.
Wright has been recently connected to the Seattle Seahawks, where he played his first 10 NFL seasons before playing for the Raiders last season. Incognito, who will turn 39 in July, may try to play again this year even though he missed all of 2021 and played just two games in 2020 because of injuries.
Just had a brief chat with free agent guard Richie Incognito at UFC 274 in Phoenix. He said he’s feeling good. Asked him about his plans for the season and he just smiled and said, ‘Stay Tuned.” #Raiders
— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) May 8, 2022
Thus far, 10 of the Raiders’ unrestricted free agents have signed elsewhere. They are: Wide receiver Zay Jones (Jacksonville Jaguars), linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Chicago Bears), fullback Alec Ingold (Miami Dolphins), cornerback Brandon Facyson (Indianapolis Colts), cornerback Casey Hayward (Atlanta Falcons), defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson (Seattle Seahawks), quarterback Marcus Mariota (Atlanta), cornerback Keisean Nixon (Green Bay Packers), defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (New York Jets) and linebacker Marquel Lee (Buffalo Bills).
Are there any of the Raiders’ current free agents who you would like to see back with the team?