Looking ahead to the Raiders offseason
What GM John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll should try to accomplish this offseason for the Silver and Black.
As has been documented, I’m a Raiders fan given my East Bay roots though I’ve elected to remain a fan even though they’ve moved to Las Vegas (at some point, I want to unpack why it doesn’t bother me that the Raiders made that move but it does that the A’s are likely moving there, but that’s for another time). The 2024 season was a rough one for the Silver and Black, but with new head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Spytek in place (along with minority owner Tom Brady, which… that’s another thing I want to unpack later) the team hopes to get back on track in the tough AFC West (they were the lone team to not make the playoffs in the division).
As we sit here, before the combine and free agency and the draft, here’s what I think the Raiders should strive to do and focus their efforts as they aim to be a more competitive team next season.
Do something at quarterback
And no, I’m not talking about Jimmy G/Gardner Minshew doing something. Now, I’m not saying it has to be “draft a QB no matter what” or “go all out to sign Sam Darnold” or “Bring in Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson” (I’m DEFINITELY not saying that). But this is the big issue for the Raiders and what keeps them from being a competitive team. The more I read, the more I’m talking myself into Darnold as a kind of bridge QB/steady hand who can hold the fort down. The question becomes, for a QB who’s really only had this one strong season, how much of a financial commitment is he worth? I’m not number savvy enough nor am I knowledgable enough in terms of the machinations of the salary cap to speak enough to that stuff. But a contract that has an initial high number that also has off-ramps might not be that bad for Darnold.
The Raiders ended up playing their way out of position for the top picks in the draft, which wasn’t ideal given that they’re needing to upgrade at QB and there’s a clear top 2 QB’s in this year’s draft and then everyone else is a mid-to-late round prospect. But if things broke the right way (namely, teams like the Titans and Browns passing on drafting a QB even though they could probably use one), the Raiders could have an opportunity to draft either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. If one of the two were to be available, it would likely be Sanders, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders. Initially, I was leery of Sanders as a QB prospect. Namely, that his famous father was (between his name and the way he approached the Buffalos season) was propping him up. But based on what I’ve been hearing and reading, it seems like Sanders is someone worth a high draft pick whose game could translate into the NFL.
Now, if Sanders does not fall to the sixth spot, should the Raiders try to trade up and get him? Given that many of the teams ahead of the Raiders, with whom they’d have to make this trade, could use a new QB, the cost to move up might be pretty high. Now, if you think that the pick (in this case, Sanders) is THE GUY, then of course you make the move. But if you’re not sure/this is just a shot you’re taking, then giving up whatever else in the form of future assets that you’d have to give up might not be worth it. It’s really the worst situation/scenario for the Raiders to be in for this draft.
Now, if the Raiders went with the Darnold option, that shouldn’t stop them from taking one of those later-round QBs. Of course, as a Texas Longhorns fan, I think Quinn Ewers might be worth the look. His deep-ball arm isn’t great, but he’s an accurate passer who can manage the game, make smart throws, and has played in some tough spots and thrived. But Dillon Gabriel? Jalen Milroe? Jaxson Dart? They might be worth the flier if you sign Darnold to be QB1 for the next few seasons.
Re-sign Spillane and Koonce
Robert Spillane was one of the lone bright-spots for the Raiders last season. The journeyman undrafted linebacker, playing in his sixth season, was one of the Raiders best defenders, especially in the run defense. He posted 158 tackles in the 2024 season, third-best in the league and a career high. With a defensive coach coming in like Pete Carroll, making sure some consistency is maintained in this area where the Raiders were actually pretty good seems most important. Spillane, Maxx Crosby, and a full season of Christian Wilkins could be a foundation upon which to build.
Malcolm Koonce is someone who flies a bit under the radar given that he missed the entire 2024 season. But his 2023 season was promising, as he finished with a PFF pass rush grade of 78.9 and an overall grade of 81.3. Those aren’t Myles Garrett or T.J. Watt numbers, but they’re solid for a player who’s playing next to Crosby. I think letting someone who put up numbers like that walk when he’ll be pretty attainable would be pretty foolish.
Trevon Moehrig and Nate Hobbs are also free agents the Raiders should try to keep, but Spillane and Koonce should be the priorities for the team to retain.
Be smart in free agency
The Raiders have the second-highest amount of cap space in the NFL this season (behind only the New England Patriots). While I certainly would not advocate spending just for spending’s sake, they should make use of that space both to retain their good free agents while also making moves in the open market. If the Raiders elect to go with the “sign Sam Darnold” route to address the QB position, then that will certainly cut into that cap space. But what else should the Raiders look to do in free agency?
Matt Holder at Silver and Black Pride threw out D.J. Reed as a potential addition at cornerback. I doubt the Bengals will let Tee Higgins hit the market, but perhaps the Raiders would be willing to pay to sign Tampa Bay wide receive Chris Godwin? Also, perhaps the Raiders want to get a proper feature back to replace Josh Jacobs and make a move for either Aaron Jones or Najee Harris? Save for QB, the Raiders shouldn’t look to drastically improve their team in free agency at this point. But given that they have the cap room, they could bring in players around the margins that could, along with a solid draft strategy, could help to improve things.