Raiders' Top Players to Consider for Franchise Tag, RFA Contract Tenders

Each of the past two seasons, the Las Vegas Raiders have been in the thick of the playoff race in the AFC. However, they came up short both times, finishing with a 7-9 record in 2019 and an 8-8 mark in 2020.

But the Raiders may be on the cusp of returning to the postseason for the first time since the 2016 campaign. They have some talented players on their roster, and they'll potentially add to it this offseason via free agency, trades and the draft.

Las Vegas will also have some decisions to make regarding its players who aren't under contract for next season. Although the Raiders are projected to be nearly $19 million over the salary cap, according to Over the Cap, they could quickly take care of that with a few moves and put themselves in a better position to add to their roster, potentially bringing back some players who were on their team in 2020.

Here's a look at one player who Las Vegas could consider using the franchise tag on, followed by a breakdown of two restricted free agents who the team may bring back.

Nelson Agholor greatly exceeded expectations for the Raiders after he signed a one-year deal with the team last offseason. The 27-year-old ended up being their top wide receiver in 2020, hauling in 48 passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns.

Now, Agholor is an unrestricted free agent again this offseason. And it wouldn't be surprising if Las Vegas tries to work out a deal to bring back the talented receiver, potentially even on a longer contract than he signed with the team last year.

However, if the Raiders and Agholor can't agree to a deal, perhaps they'd consider using the franchise tag on him to ensure he'll be back in 2021. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, the franchise-tag salary for next season for wide receivers is projected to be $15.808 million, which is a large increase from the $1.048 million that Agholor made in 2020.

But Agholor is going to get a pay increase either way after he proved himself with a strong showing last season. So he could be worth the price of the franchise tag for Las Vegas, if that's what it has to do to bring him back for another year.

It's a decision that the Raiders will have to think over, though, as they also have several young wide receivers (such as Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, who were both rookies in 2020) who could play larger roles if Agholor didn't return. Or Las Vegas could also look for another bargain deal with another receiver, such as the one it got Agholor on last offseason.

Although Daniel Carlson is only 26, he's already faced some adversity in his three-year NFL career. As a rookie in 2018, he was cut by the Minnesota Vikings (who had drafted him in the fifth round) in the middle of the season. He then signed with the Raiders, and after a strong showing to end his debut campaign, he struggled a bit in 2019, making only 73.1 percent of his field-goal attempts.

But Las Vegas stuck with Carlson this past season, which ended up being a smart decision. He played all 16 games and set career highs in made field goals (33), made extra points (45) and field-goal percentage (94.3), while also booting a 54-yard field goal, the longest of his career.

Carlson is now a restricted free agent this offseason, and the Raiders will need to decide whether they want to offer him a contract for the 2021 season. Considering how well he performed last year, it seems there's a strong chance that that's what they'll do.

Las Vegas long snapper Trent Sieg is also a restricted free agent, so the team could solidify its special teams unit by bringing back both him and Carlson. Don't be surprised if that's what the Raiders decide, as it's clear the connection worked well last year.

Kendal Vickers came out of nowhere to make the Raiders' roster in 2020, and he ended up contributing to the team's pass rush, particularly late in the year. After playing his college ball at Tennessee, Vickers wasn't drafted and hadn't played in an NFL game when Las Vegas gave him a spot on its roster out of training camp this past fall.

Vickers ended up playing 15 games for the Raiders, making two starts and recording 10 tackles. He also had two sacks, notching one in back-to-back games (Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers and Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins).

Las Vegas' pass rush struggled in 2020, as it had only 21 sacks, which ranked 29th in the NFL. Because of that, Vickers ranked tied for fourth on the team with his pair of sacks. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden also "loves the effort" that Vickers showed this past season, so it's clear that the 25-year-old defensive end made a positive impression on the team.

While it's likely that Las Vegas will look to improve its pass rush this offseason, Vickers could still have a role on the team if he returns in 2021. So, the Raiders could opt to offer him a contract for next season and bring him back to provide depth on their defensive front.