What's more exciting: NFL Free Agency or the NFL Draft? I'd say Free Agency this year, because it's got some REAL big hooters on it.
 
With no draft picks on day one, free agency may be where the most change comes for the Raiders. There's a lot of free agents, so there's a good chance to upgrade that lackluster defense.


The Raiders D has been under performing like an impotent man who promises his wife love, only to slide off the bed, and knock himself out on the nightstand. That's what the Raiders defense has been known to do...hurt themselves.

In the 2000's, the Colts became a perennial playoff team because of their explosive offense.  Clearly, much of that had to do with Peyton being who he is.  But as we've seen in more recent years, a good QB cannot do it alone.  He needs explosive players around him to be able to catch the balls he throws and carry the ball as well.  And in that decade much of the Colts' success came with Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James – affectionately known as the Triplets.

Moving into the 2012 season, the Raiders are looking at a trio that could be their own version of the Triplets if they can reach their considerable potential.  Each of the three has the skills and explosion to be able to be among the best at their position but each has their own question marks as well.

I get questions from time to time on when things will happen so I thought I'd consolidate those into a posting.

Monday, March 5th: End of Franchise Period
Deadline for teams to designate a player as having the franchise tag.  Teams will really start prep for their plans of action for free agency.

Tuesday, March 13th: Free Agency.
I wouldn't expect Raiders to be active in first few days because they won't have the money to sign many, if any, big names.  I think they have a shot at one mid level name – someone like Tracy Porter – but even that is questionable with the salary situation.  We'll see how things shake out in the next few days with players' contracts.

The Raiders have used the franchise tag on Tyvon Branch, the team announced today.  In a press release announcing the move, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie praised Branch, stating, "Tyvon is a talented, productive player who we hope will be wearing the silver and black for many years to come. We will continue to work on a long-term deal to make that happen."

There is also a possibility that the Raiders and Branch will come to a long term contract very soon in which case the franchise tag could be rescinded and used on another player.  That seems unlikely at this point, however, and there isn't any other free agent on which it would be needed.

There was some speculation that the Raiders might tag backup RB Michael Bush but the tag is projected to be approximately 7.7 million dollars for a one year contract for running backs versus a projected 6.2 million for safeties.  The actual amount is not known because the new tag calculations are tied in with the salary cap, which is widely expected to be approximately 120 million dollars this year, but has yet to be announced.

You can follow me on Twitter @AsherMathews

NFL.com's Jason La Canfora has reported that a source has told him that if Raiders' LB Kamerion Wimbley does not agree to restructure his deal, the team will cut him before the start of the season.  The team would still owe Wimbley $6.5 million guaranteed but would save the remaining $4.5 million in his salary this season in addition to avoiding a trigger in his deal that would guarantee a future amount of $19 million in subsequent years of his contract.

The La Canfora report doesn't explicitly state that Wimbley would have to take a pay cut, but it certainly seems likely.  Profootballtalk.com certainly is taking the tact that it's a paycut in their coverage of the report.  The restructuring would also serve to spread out Wimbley's cap hit.  Wimbley has reportedly refused to take a pay cut so this may mean that he will hit the free agent market later this month.

Wimbley has been with the Raiders since March of 2010 when the Raiders traded for him from the Browns in exchange for a 3rd round pick in the 2010 draft.  He was moved to Strongside Linebacker where he has flourished, especially in a pass rushing role.  He is the Raiders best pass rush option currently on the roster.  He has 16 sacks in two seasons with the Raiders.

You can follow me on Twitter @AsherMathews

UPDATED

Since the end of the season, Raiders QB Carson Palmer has not given any interviews and so there were many questions out there about how he felt about the changes in the coaching staff, reflecting on the trade and how he feels about the next year.  In a short interview today on NFL Sirius radio, Palmer weighed in on a few questions.

Specifically, he answered questions about the pressures he feels to justify the blockbuster trade that brought him to Oakland mid-season last year and about the wide receiving corps that Oakland currently has under contract.  Unsurprisingly he raved about rookie Denarius Moore, calling him a "big time receiver in the making."

As has been widely reported at this time, the Raiders are well over the 2012 salary cap.  It was initially posited that the team was $11 million over the cap or so but according to Profootballtalk.com, the number is actually closer to $25 Million over the projected salary cap of approximately $120 million.