The Oakland Raiders have plenty of needs heading into the 2019 NFL season, and here are five free agents that can help fill some of them.
After a 4-12 2018 NFL season, the Oakland Raiders obviously have a lot of work to do this offseason if they hope to be a competitive team in 2019. Currently, the Raiders hold six of the first 100 selections in the 2019 NFL Draft, and have a bunch of cap space to work with during the free agency period.
On their current roster, Oakland has 33 pending free agents, so needless to say, new general manager Mike Mayock has his work cut out for him. As we inch closer to the free agency period, let us take a look at five players that could really help this team in 2019 and beyond.
5. Jared Cook, TE (Oakland Raiders)
Over the last two seasons, tight end Jared Cook has been the main weapon for Derek Carr in the Raiders passing game, leading the Silver and Black in receiving yards in both years. Since coming to Oakland, Cook has seen a career renaissance, and he would be wise to sign on with the team moving forward.
When it comes to the Raiders offense, they need a weapon at tight end, and Cook fits what Gruden likes to do perfectly. Oakland had a lot of question marks on their roster this past season, but tight end was not one of them, and bringing Cook back will ensure that Carr has his security blanket as the team heads to Las Vegas.
Cook may not be the best tight end in the NFL, but he certainly works with Carr, and he makes a lot of sense as a cornerstone of this offense in 2019 and beyond. Carr threw for over 4,000 yards last season with very little weapons in the passing game, and Cook was definitely one of them.