Oakland Raiders: Cut Em or Keep Em Part 2-Offense

[blazin1]

The Oakland Raiders had a disappointing 2012 season to say the least, and once again, the off season is upon us. Some of this failure was due to coaching, some to injury and some to under-performing players.

In the opening article of this series, we discussed which 2013 Raiders' free agents should be kept or cut. This second installment will cover only the offensive players who are still under contract, and whether or not they should remain with the team, or be given their proverbial "pink slips."

As before, the evaluation of these players will go beyond their performance on the field. Their contract status, salary cap number, and whether or not their skill set fits in with the direction of the team in the future were all considered when making this list.

First, a look at the offensive players who are still under contract, their position and their cap number.
Player Position 2013 Cap Number
Carson Palmer QB $16,891,667
Terrelle Pryor QB $701,000
Darren McFadden RB $8,018,417
Taiwan Jones RB $656,250
Marcel Reece FB $1,423,000
Jamize Olawale FB $480,000
David Ausberry TE $566,475
Richard Gordon TE $581,213
Darrius Heyward-Bey WR $10,601,000
Denarius Moore WR $602,625
Rod Streater WR $480,000
Juron Criner WR $516,640
Jacoby Ford WR $703,871
Jared Veldheer OT $798,750
Willie Smith OT $555,000
Tony Bergstrom OT/OG $606,504
Mike Brisiel OG $5,030,000
Lucas Nix OG $480,000
Stefen Wisniewski C $1,127,837

Keepers:

Carson Palmer was, in short, the only thing Oakland had on offense all year. He carried the team, and played pretty darn well...despite what his detractors would have us believe. Palmer became only the second Raider QB in history to throw for over 4,000 yards, and he threw eight more touchdowns than interceptions. He achieved all of this with virtually no help from the running game or offensive line.

Keeping Palmer will be important for Oakland as they change offensive coordinators once again. His experience and professionalism will go a long way toward the offense being successful, and perhaps more importantly, grooming his eventual replacement.

The question becomes: Is Palmer worth nearly $17 million? Most would agree the answer is no. Hopefully, Palmer wants to play in Oakland badly enough to restructure his deal and settles on a more cap-friendly number.

Terrelle Pryor may be the most talked about player on the team. There are those who staunchly support him, and those who are equally committed to him being cut. In whichever camp you find yourself, Pryor has done enough in his limited playing time to earn the right to compete for the #2 quarterback job, and his salary is low enough that the risk is almost non-existent.

Darren McFadden can be the best back in football...if given the tools and scheme to succeed. We saw what he was capable of in 2011 under Al Saunders and Hue Jackson. D-Mac averaged nearly seven yards per carry before being injured and missing nine games.

There inlies the "sticky wicket!"

Can McFadden stay healthy for an enire season? Will he fit with the new scheme? Answering these questions will answer the last question...is McFadden worth $8+ million?

That's for the coaches and general manager Reggie McKenzie decide.

Marcel Reece seemed to be the only "skill" player on offense, (other than Palmer) who played with any consistency. Unfortunately, FORMER offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp grossly under-utilized him. However, Reece kept his mouth shut, did his job, and excelled when given the chance to play.

Reece may be the most versatile player in the league, (along with Percy Harvin). He creates miss-matches no matter where you line him up, and his lead blocking skills are improving each day. Letting Reece go would be a travesty...no matter how much he makes.

David Ausberry is a unique player. He's as fast as many wide receivers, but as big as most tight ends. He's a big play waiting to happen. Once again however, Knapp never quite figured out how to use him. A salary of just just under $567,000, he's worth every penny...assuming the new coordinator can find a role for him.

Richard Gordon isn't going to catch 75 balls or score 10 touchdowns in any season, but he's a great blocker and worth every bit of his modest salary.

Darrius Heyward-Bey finds himself in a bad situation. He has to know he didn't live up to his high draft status and matching salary. He's known as a high-class, hard-working guy, but he floundered in Knapp's system, (as did most of the offensive talent).

Scheduled to make over $10 million in 2013 begs the question: Is any wide receiver, whose last name isn't Johnson, worth that much money? The answer is a resounding no. If Reggie Wayne's leadership, 106 catches, 1,355 yards and five touchdowns is only worth $7 million, then DHB's 41 catches, 606 yards and five touchdowns are worth much less than that.

It appears the only way Heyward-Bey can stay with the team is if he is willing to take a drastic pay cut. Do that, and he'd be a welcome addition. Do it not, and he'll have to find another team.

Denarius Moore had a down year. Chalk it up to the dreaded "Sophomore slump" or horrible play-calling from Knapp. Whatever the case, he was a shadow of the play-maker we saw in 2011. That said, Moore is young enough, and comes at a low enough price to give him another year to see if he can sort things out, and get back to the electrifying player he was in 2011.

Rod Streater came from nowhere...okay, he came from Temple, but wasn't drafted and not many teams even gave him a second thought. Luckily, the Raiders did and he rewarded them with some amazing play.

His consistency needs improvement, but his overall game is on the rise. At only $480,000, Oakland would be crazy to let him go.

Juron Criner was a 5th round pick out of Arizona. He came to Oakland, almost as proof that Al Davis was no longer in charge. Criner ran a 40 time that was slow by NFL wide receiver standards, but McKenzie saw something in him that prompted him to take a chance.

Criner, much like many of the offensive "skill" players struggled under Knapp, but he showed flashes in pre-season of the player he could become. He fights hard for the ball and has good hands. However, he'll need to polish up his route running and his ability to read defenses.

Criner should stay at least one more season to see if he can make it happen.

Jared Veldheer came from tiny Hillsdale college in 2010 with little, to no fan-fare. Many speculated that taking a Division-II player in the 3rd round of the draft was proof that Al Davis had finally lost it completely.

Mr. Davis, (Rest in peace) is having the last laugh now that Veldheer has asserted himself as one of the best, most under-rated left tackles in the NFL. He's shut out some great pass rushers like Jarod Allen, Tamba Hali and Elvis Dumerville...and made it look easy.

At this point, it wouldn't matter what he was making, he'd be worth every dime!

Tony Bergstrom was drafted in the 3rd round of the last draft. He came in as a replacement for Mike Brisiel, (covered later). Bergstrom had his struggles in pass protection, but he did extremely well in the running game.

At just 26 years old, and expected to make just over $608,000 in 2013, it's clear that Bergstrom, along with the next player on this list, are the future of the Raiders offensive line.

Lucas Nix hails from the University of Pittsburgh. He was pretty highly touted in his junior year, but a pretty severe leg injury caused him to drop completely out of the draft.

Nix is an animal in the run game, but needs to improve his recognition and pass blocking. He's young, powerful and has an extremely high ceiling. His $480,000 salary makes him an extremely valuable player who should get a shot at the starting lineup at guard.

Stefen Wisniewski has a family tie to the Raiders. His uncle, Steve, was a Raider Nation fan-favorite for 13 years. "Wiz 2.0" is carrying on the family tradition of excellent play. Like his uncle, Stefen is the kind of player around which you can build a legendary front five.

At left guard last year, young Wiz moved back to his natural position of center in 2012. He struggled to overcome an injury that kept him out of the first game, but once he got back on track was solid as a rock. Rarely missing assignments and always making the correct calls at the line, Wiz 2.0, along with Veldheer, Bergstrom, and Nix make for an extremely bright future along the Raiders' offensive front.

Who can Oakland live without?

Mike Brisiel was brought over from the Houston Texans in an attempt to help teach the Raiders' linemen Greg Knapp's now-infamous zone blocking scheme, (ZBS). Much like Knapp, Brisiel didn't fare very well.

Constantly getting over-powered in pass protection and completely missing blocking assignments in the running game, Brisiel was beaten out of his starting job by the rookie Tony Bergstrom.

Willie Smith was a complete and utter failure as a right tackle. There's nothing to say here, except..."Here's you last check...there's the door...have a nice day!"

Jacoby Ford exploded onto the scene in 2010 as one of, if not the, best kick returners in the league. His absence was felt this season as the Raiders had a downright bad return game under the now unemployed Steve Hoffman.

Ford suffered an injury that kept him out all season. The progress he shows in his rehab and healing may very well determine whether or not he gets another chance to show what he can do.

He's a good player, and would be a nice addition, but his salary is beginning to climb, so he better show a lot to stay with the team in 2013.

Taiwan Jones has all the physical tools to be an explosive, "change of pace" back for almost any team. The problem is, he fumbles a lot and can't pass block to save his life. However, his salary is low enough that keeping him around for depth and the occasional screen might be worth it.

His future is in the hands of the coaches at this point.

Jamize Olawale didn't play at all in 2012. That alone would suggest that the Raiders can live without him. He's an "old school" blocking fullback in a pass-happy league too, so it's clear he'll find himself on the roster bubble at the very least.

Closing:

This list is intended as speculation only. It's not possible for anyone outside the team office to know what the real status of any of these men really is, but based on the players' performance, salary and the direction of the team, we can put together a hypothosis about where each player stands in the eyes of the team.

LINK: http://raidernationtimes.com/article.php?id=9537

[DeadRinger]

Palmer, DHB and McFadden are all going to have to restructure. I think Palmer himself would admit he's not nearly worth $16M for one season. And $10M for DHB?? That sounds luke a punch line.