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The Raiders Need to Sign Emmanuel Sanders

By Max Staley

Derek Carr and the Raiders could use a talented wideout like Emmanuel Sanders.
Derek Carr and the Raiders could use a talented wideout like Emmanuel Sanders. / Harry How/Getty Images
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The Raiders could be bringing a quarterback controversy to Las Vegas. Incumbent starter Derek Carr is still with the team, but they just added Marcus Mariota. Regardless of which QB is under center next year, the team's skill-position group could use a boost.

Tight end Darren Waller was the Raiders' leading receiver last season, and no wideout on the team even broke 700 receiving yards. Without many viable options left in free agency, Vegas would be wise to target Emmanuel Sanders this offseason.

Emmanuel Sanders Free Agency

The Raiders have a little less than $30 million in available cap space, but most of their efforts in the draft and free agency will likely be devoted toward the defense. Last season, they finished with the league's second-worst defense according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics. Clearly, that side of the ball is in need of a pretty significant upgrade.

Sanders could instantly give this pass-catching group a boost, and he shouldn't cost too much to acquire at 33 years old. He still racked up 502 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 games with the San Francisco 49ers, despite playing in one of the NFL's most run-heavy offenses.

In other words, signing Sanders could give the Raiders some of the offensive boost they need, without hindering their ability to add defensive talent. He spent more than five years in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos, and a return to the division could make a ton of sense for both sides.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.