The Oakland Raiders were one of the worst teams in football in 2012, but after making a number of personnel moves, the team has a chance to be players in free agency and could add some impact names, including options like Cliff Avril, Paul Kruger and Reggie Bush.
The Raiders finished 4-12 last season and were one of the worst defensive teams in the league, making Kruger and Avril two very attractive options, as they both could help turnaround a unit that ranked 20th and 18th in passing yards and rushing yards allowed per game by opponents. Avril has proven to be one of the top defensive ends in the league, while Kruger had a breakout season in Baltimore after the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
Oakland has about $10 million in cap space and still needs to sign their own free agents, so they would have to be creative, but Avril seems like a fit in the black and silver and the attitude to go along with it. Avril has played in all 32 games the past two seasons and has been relatively healthy through his career, making 30 sacks and 102 pressures over the past three seasons.
Avril was excellent last year while making 9.5 sacks and the 27-year-old has increased his sack total in every year but this past one, making 11 sacks in 2011. Avril will command a high salary, which is one reason why the Lions won't sign him, but he is expected to have a nice amount of interest. The Lions would love to sign him, but the team has too much money locked into Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.
Kruger will also be a prime option for the Raiders, as he had an excellent season after recording nine sacks for the Ravens and was also a leader on the defense during the playoffs, making four sacks. He also could command double-digits in his annual salary and the Ravens could try to sign him, but they likely will let him go, as the Colts and Browns have shown a lot of interest.
Baltimore still has to sign cornerback Cary Williams and Dannell Ellerbe and after trading wideout Anquan Boldin, it questions whether the ravens have the money for Kruger. The team is also losing a number of players on defense, making Kruger a main option.
The Raiders also could spend on offense to bring Reggie Bush back to California, as he has proven over the past two seasons to be a consistent back with Miami. The Raiders ranked 28th in the league in rushing after dealing with some injuries and the addition of Bush could boost their offense and give Carson Palmer a better chance to succeed.
Oakland had a rough end to the season after losing eight of the past nine games, but after making a few moves, there could be some hope in the Bay Area for the team. Terelle Pryor has some potential and if the team can add one of the main free agents, they could improve to at least .500 next season.
