Free Agent Focus with Insider insight: OG Kevin Boothe

Many Raider fans might recognize the name Kevin Boothe. That's because he was an original Raider. The Raiders drafted him in the sixth round of the 2006 draft out of Cornell. He spent one season with the Raiders, starting 14 of 16 games that season. But he was released after that.

He immediately caught on with the Giants and has been with them for the past six seasons including both Super Bowl Championships. He was primarily a reserve guard until the 2011 season when he started the final nine games at every position on the interior offensive line at one time or another and helped Eli Manning and the Giants to another Super Bowl victory over the Patriots.

Even so, Boothe was still considered by most to be a less than ideal choice as the everyday starting right guard. But that didn't stop the Giants from handing him the starting job all of last season. He took the job and had his best season as the full time starter. He was one of the better guards in the NFL in run blocking and was middle of the pack in pass protection.

His most impressive quality of all is his penalty-free streak. He hasn't committed a penalty since the 2010 season. That's more than two seasons since he had a flag thrown his way. That's the kind of discipline only an Ivy League education can give you. And just what the Raiders could use. He and fellow Ivy Leaguer Desmond Bryant (Harvard) could have some epic battles of wits.

Here is what Edward Valentine of Giants blog, Big Blue View, had to say:

Boothe started at left guard for the Giants for the entire 2012 season and played well. He isn't a great player, but he's better than I thought. Not a road grader or a perfect pass blocker, but a good lineman. He can also play center, which adds to his value. He's another guy I'm sure the Giants want to keep, but they don't have much salary cap room.

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