The in-house free agents Raiders should consider bringing back

Twenty eight unrestricted free agents, four restricted free agents, and two street free agents. That’s the amount of in-house players the Las Vegas Raiders need to make decisions on this offseason.

And undoubtedly yes, the makeup of the Silver & Black will look different in 2023. Over The Cap highlights the 34 impending Raiders free agents with their full list.

Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have some grinding to do — the old-school roll up their sleeves and get to work kind. Because that championship standard they’re striving for will require an influx of talent. Avoiding another 6-11 campaign requires a tremendous talent infusion.

Thus, an in-house free agent primer. This will focus on Raiders beyond Josh Jacobs as he’s unquestionably the free agent priority. Instead, lets look at others Las Vegas should considering bringing back.

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Priority

• Mack Hollins (Wide receiver): A special teams sensation, the 6-foot-4, 221-pound veteran showed he’s a capable pass catcher, too. He hauled in 57 passes for 690 yards and four touchdowns on offense and was a stalwart gunner on the punt coverage unit. Finding excellent special teamers is a hard task and Las Vegas would be wise to hang on to theirs.
• Jakob Johnson (Fullback): The position group is going extinct in the modern NFL but Johnson’s ability to erase linebackers to pave the way for Jacobs was invaluable. While his carries and receptions are negligible, at best, he’s an effective lead blocker and special teamer.
• Duron Harmon (Safety): Unless the veteran decides to hang them up, bringing him back on a short-term deal isn’t going to be costly. And he can impart his knowledge and work ethic upon what’s likely going to be a young secondary. He’s still capable in pass coverage (two interceptions, one a pick six) and tackler (86 total).
• Rock Ya-Sin (Cornerback): Acquired in a rare player-for-player trade, Ya-Sin provided a physical presence at outside corner and was both stingy in coverage and a willing tackler. He’ll be only 27 in May and offers valuable experience as a position that needs both consistency and depth.

Potential

• Denzel Perryman (Linebacker): A heat-seeking missile of a tackler and run stuffer who showed better in zone coverage this year (83 total tackles and two interceptions), the veteran can continue to man the middle linebacker spot if brought back. He’ll be 31 in December and was injured a lot this season, but his experience in the system is valuable.
• Andrew Billings (Defensive tackle): Once though to be camp fodder, the 6-foot-1, 328-pounder filled the nose tackle role well. He provides the space eating-presence needed on the interior and the strength to anchor against the run. Las Vegas likely won’t have to break the bank to bring him back, either.
• Clelin Ferrell (Edge): While he didn’t live up to his No. 4 overall selection status, Ferrell did find a niche as a strong edge defender at the point of attack. He held his own in the run providing lane discipline and power while showing the ability to collapse the pocket at times.

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Contemplate

• Foster Moreau (Tight end): With ample size at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, Moreau shows he can block and catch passes (33 catches, 420 yards and two touchdowns). His catch rate did dip this season and he couldn’t capitalize on his acension to TE1 after Darren Waller’s ailments, but Moreau’s ability to play in-line and block is a valuable trait.
• Sidney Jones (Cornerback): An in-season pickup, Jones came into the league as a prototype press man corner, and showed some of that ability in his minimal snaps as a Raider. With depth being so limited at corner, bringing Jones back to compete with a full camp could produce nice results.
• Jerry Tillery (Defensive tackle): A boneheaded penalty notwithstanding, the defensive lineman shows burst off the snap and pocket terrorizer. And the Raiders pass rush needs all the help it can get. Tillery’s work against the run needs refinement as he’s easily pushed about, but he’s not going to break the Raiders bank to bring him back.