AFC West Free Agency Roundup: Oakland Raiders

I don't know how many of you know this about me, but my day job is as a computer programmer. One of the "perks" of the job is inheriting someone else's project because they moved divisions or left the company. It's especially fun when that person was fired by the company for being inept, and you still have to fix their programs. Usually when I inherit a program, it's a complete mess and I have to clean up the mess before I can even begin to add features to the project.

I bring this up because it kind of echoes what's happening up in Oakland. General Manager Reggie McKenzie has inherited a team that was in financial dire straights. The team had big contracts on players, but no cap room to pay those players, so he has to fix things before he can even begin to improve the team.

So what does one do in this situation? Well first: you let your more expensive players walk away or you cut them. Second: you sign cheap talent back to the team just to fill the holes. Third: you rebuild the team through the draft.

This plan may work out well in the long term, but it makes for a rather uninspiring if not uncompetitive team for the 2013 season.

Additions

Losses

Retained

Remaining Free Agents