This week saw a number of well known vets get cut from their teams and of course, that resulted in Oakland Raiders fans fawning over the possibility of adding them. But this is no longer the Raiders team that’s devoid of talent and desperate to sign anyone. The tables have turned and now, veterans like Adrian Peterson want to come to Oakland in search of a ring before their career comes to an end.
But should the Raiders be interested in any of these guys? Three in particular have drawn the attention of fans: Brandon Marshall, Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson, so let’s take a look, one at a time:
Adrian Peterson
Peterson is probably the most popular of the names to hit free agency. Probably one of the greatest runningbacks of all time, and definitely a top two in my lifetime, the draw of Peterson is understandable. But, Peterson is coming off of a knee injury and didn’t exactly look good before getting hurt, averaging less than two yards per carry in the first two games of the year before he got hurt. Plus, Peterson does not look like a guy who is interested in taking a cheaper deal. He might be forced to, but the Raiders shouldn’t waste their time trying to convince him. I don’t know that he would be a huge upgrade and it’s not like the running back position is a huge need. I’d prefer to spend the money on defense.
Jamaal Charles
A lot of the same thought process applies to Charles as to Peterson. A once great back coming off of injuries and hoping to find glory once again. But Charles should be even less attractive to the Raiders as his style isn’t as good of a compliment to Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington as Peterson’s would be. Though I do have to say, having Charles revive his career in Oakland after getting cut by the Chiefs would be pretty sweet. If he came at a dirt cheap price, maybe, maybe it happens. But I doubt it.
Brandon Marshall
Here comes the curve ball… I actually think Marshall is a guy the Raiders should consider. Unlike Charles and Peterson, Marshall isn’t coming off of an injury and had a decent year last season. No, he wasn’t elite like he once was, but he is definitely still productive. Teaming him up with Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper would make for the most dangerous trio in football. Obviously, the issue with Marshall is found off of the field. While he may be able to help the Raiders, it’s not super likely they would sign him given his history with domestic violence accusations.
