In an offseason where the NFL was short on cap space, the Las Vegas Raiders were in a decent position relative to many in the league when it came to free agency. 

While some teams had to gut their rosters to make ends meet, general manager Mike Mayock and Co. were able to find ways to get better through free agency.

Sure, some key players are departing: Rodney Hudson will be missed at center while Nelson Agholor would have been a nice piece to keep around, but the team brought in more than one talent who should help in an area of need next offseason. 

Draft picks like Alex Leatherwood and Trevon Moehrig will be asked to play roles early in their careers, but the Raiders will also be relying on the following free agents to make big contributions. Each should be ready to hold up their end of the bargain. 

Edge Yannick Ngakoue

This is the headliner. For reasons that really aren't apparent, Yannick Ngakoue has now been on four rosters in three seasons. He no longer wanted to be in Jacksonville, so Minnesota took him for a while before the Ravens traded for him and didn't re-sign him. 

It's a perplexing path for a 26-year-old who has produced at a premium position. He can straight up get after the quarterback, and 45.5 sacks in five seasons is the evidence of that. 

Regardless of how it happened, the Raiders should be happy to be paying Ngakoue's salary. They were 29th in sacks last season and his eight would have lead the team. 

Clelin Ferrell has been a fine run defender, but his pass-rush production hasn't proved to be an asset. Maxx Crosby has done well in his first two seasons, but his potential could be unlocked with a menace like Ngakoue rushing from the other side and drawing the attention of the opposing line. 

With Ngakoue in the fold, the Raiders have the opportunity to turn a clear weakness last season into a strength. 

RB Kenyan Drake

You can argue about whether signing Kenyan Drake to a two-year, $11 million contract was the best way to spend money. You can be annoyed as a fantasy football manager that Josh Jacobs lost some value. But you can't argue that Drake won't have a role in the Raiders offense and will probably excel in that role. 

The 27-year-old's value comes not only in his ability to make plays but also to allow Jacobs to stay on the field throughout the season. 

"Kenyan Drake comes here from Arizona—a lot of people say: 'Why Kenyan Drake?'" head coach Jon Gruden said, per Levi Edwards of Raiders.com. "Well, Doug Martin had 190 touches three years ago when (Marshawn) Lynch went down, and DeAndre Washington had 144 touches when (Josh) Jacobs went down two years ago, and this past year Josh went down and Devontae Booker got 110 touches."

If you're wondering what kind of impact Drake and Jacobs can have as a one-two punch, look no further than the Cleveland Browns. Their offense took steps forward last season because Baker Mayfield improved, but they also utilize Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt well together. 

The Raiders now have a similar backfield with Jacobs playing the Hunt role and Hunt the analog for Drake. The former Cardinals star's ability to catch passes out of the backfield should be especially useful. In 2018 and 2019, when he was still used as more of a committee back, he had over 50 catches in each of those seasons. 

CB Casey Hayward Jr.

While the Raiders' pass rush was anemic last season, the secondary didn't do much to help itself. They were a bottom-10 pass defense last season, and it really doesn't come as a surprise when you look at the youth they were playing with. 

Trayvon Mullen and Jonathan Abram led the defensive backs in snap counts, but neither had more than a year of experience. Damon Arnette was asked to play when he was healthy as a rookie. 

Former division rival Casey Hayward Jr. isn't as good as he once was, but he could be a stabilizing force in the secondary. Perhaps most importantly, he's already familiar with the scheme. 

"Like I said, a lot of similarities for me with the defensive staff. I've been with [defensive backs coach Ron Milus] "Milo" going on six years now. That's been my same defensive back coach, been with [defensive coordinator] Gus [Bradley] for the last five years as well. It's a lot of similarities," Hayward told the team site about his early experiences with the team. 

Hayward's best production is probably behind him. Last year, he had eight passes defended and an interception, and he'll be entering his age-32 season. 

But he gives them a baseline of play and veteran leadership that should be a boon for the team.