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[Las Vegas Raiders]

Jaguars hold GM interview with Raiders asst GM Champ Kelly

Raiders assistant GM Champ Kelly has been a hot name in GM circles for a few years now. Two years ago, he was named the Raiders interim GM after the firing of Dave Ziegler. And though the Raiders have went with two outside GMs since then, Kelly remains a respected GM candidate.

The Jaguars are currently in search of a new GM after firing Trent Baalke and hiring new head coach Liam Coen. They have had interviews with several candidates in the past couple weeks and Friday, Kelly became their final interview, completing their interview process.

Kelly is entering his fourth year as assistant GM in Las Vegas. Prior to that he held several prominent front office jobs with the Broncos and Bears. He was in Denver for nine years, starting as a college scout in 2007 and ultimately assistant director of pro personnel. He then moved on to Chicago, first as director of pro scouting and then assistant director of player personnel.

Jacksonville is casting wide net. Other candidates include Packer VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, Bears asst GM Ian Cunningham, Chargers asst GM Chad Alexander, former Titans GM Jon Robinson, Giants asst GM Brandon Brown, Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown, Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/15/jaguars-gm-interview-raiders-asst-gm-champ-kelly/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

CBS Sports weighs pros, cons of Raiders as Aaron Rodgers' landing spot

The New York Jets revealed on Thursday that the franchise is splitting from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

With Rodgers’ time at the Jets ending, it didn’t take long for some to start connecting the dots between Rodgers and the Las Vegas Raiders.

NFL.com’s Nick Shook listed the Raiders as the top team on a list of Rodgers’ potential landing spots.

Obviously, it’s all contingent upon Rodgers deciding whether or not he still wants to keep playing football. If he does, would the Raiders make sense?

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin broke down the pros and cons of Rodgers’ potential landing spots and shared his thoughts on the match with the Raiders.

Benjamin’s pros for the Raiders bringing in Rodgers are in line with the argument that most would make. Las Vegas just hired an older coach and Rodgers gives the franchise a good chance to win now.

The Raiders need someone — anyone — under center, and they’ve got loads of cap space to spend on potential upgrades up front and out wide. New coach Pete Carroll insisted Las Vegas is focused on winning immediately, and that makes sense, considering he’s 73. Rodgers, whose sheer volume of experience could attract new minority owner Tom Brady, could make for a perfect short-term partner. – Benjamin, CBS Sports.

Per Over The Cap, the Raiders have $85 million in effective cap space to get aggressive with during this free agency period. Adding Rodgers and several other key offensive weapons could radically shift the Raiders’ offensive outlook overnight.

But, Benjamin asks a prudent question when addressing the cons.

Even if it required a trade up, the Raiders are decently positioned to address quarterback in the draft, owning the No. 6 overall pick. And while they’ve got money to spend, young tight end Brock Bowers is one of their few Grade-A building blocks on offense. Is this the right time to go all in on an aging passer? – Benjamin, CBS Sports.

If there’s interest from the Raiders for Rodgers’ services, it makes plenty of sense for the reasons discussed above.

Ultimately, it may just boil down to how patient the Raiders’ front office is or isn’t willing to be at quarterback.

It is likely that the Jets will release Rodgers as a post-June 1 designation, which allows the franchise to split the remaining cap charges over the next two seasons. In order to do that, the Jets will have to carry Rodgers on the roster until March 12, the start of the league year.

Then, Rodgers will be free to sign elsewhere on March 13.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/15/cbs-sports-pros-cons-aaron-rodgers-raiders-landing-spot/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders post-Super Bowl mock draft roundup

It’s been a week since the Super Bowl, giving us a nice sample size of mock drafts since all 32 draft slots were decided.

Granted, how the final two picks of the first round land may not have affected the Raiders pick at sixth overall much, but having the first couple rounds of the draft order now set in stone certainly means all the mock draft gurus out there were ready to hit publish at that time.

What we found were 22 mock draft from various sources to get a feel for which direction they think the Raiders will go.

Date	Source	Raiders pick
2/15	Pro Football Network (Rolfe)	Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St
2/13	CBS Sports (Edwards)	Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
2/13	NFL media (Parr)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/13	Pro Football Network (Weissman)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/12	Draft Countdown (Wilhelm)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/12	San Diego Union Tribune (Brown)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/12	CBS Sports (Trapasso)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/12	Fox Sports (Klatt)	Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
2/11	Drafttek (staff)	Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
2/11	Pro Football Network (Jones)	Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St
2/11	NBC Sports (Dvorchak)	Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
2/11	Fox Sports (Rang)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/10	SB Nation (Acosta)	Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St
2/10	Newsday (Rock)	Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
2/10	NFL media (Reuter)	Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St
2/10	Sharpe Football Analysis (McCrystal)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/10	CBS Sports (Renner)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/10	The Athletic (Baumgardner)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/10	33rd Team (Crabbs)	Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
2/10	USA Today (Middlehurst-Schwartz	Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
2/9	The Draft Network (Fowler)	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
2/9	Pro Football Focus (Sikkema)	Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL)

Picks by position: Quarterback (11), Wide receiver (4), Running back (4) Cornerback (3)

Offense: 19

Defense: 3

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/16/raiders-post-super-bowl-nfl-mock-draft-roundup-database/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders fill critical offensive positions in latest Athletic 3-round mock draft

When examining the Raiders roster, there are five positions that jump out as their biggest needs. The Raiders have four picks in the first three rounds The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner was sure to address the top four needs on the Raiders roster in his three-round mock draft.

With the sixth overall pick, he has the Raiders taking Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.

My bet is that Ward’s proven history of gradual improvement will continue in the NFL and he’ll eventually outpace Sanders on the field. However, it would not be a surprise, at all, if Sanders has the better rookie season. His game is reminiscent of a more athletic version of Bo Nix.

A mobile pocket battler with terrific accuracy and toughness, Sanders always will need more help from the roster around him than your average top-10 QB — but he can be a terrific point guard for a long time.

With the next two picks the Raider address their next two biggest needs, taking North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton in round two (pick 37) and Oregon WR Tez Johnson at the top of round three (pick 68).

These picks add much needed talent to the Raiders struggling offense. Quarterback is the most critical need and getting him some help in the backfield as well as at receiver will help as well.

With their final pick in the third round (pick 73) that they got from the Jets in the Davante Adams trade, they have the Raiders addressing their need at cornerback with the selection of Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...-receiver-latest-athletic-3-round-mock-draft/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders part ways with assistant general manager

After interviewing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their general manager vacancy last week, the Las Vegas Raiders have parted ways with assistant general manager Champ Kelly. according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

The #Raiders have parted ways with assistant general manager Champ Kelly, per sources. Kelly interviewed for the Jaguars’ GM vacancy last week. He had been with Las Vegas since 2022.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) February 17, 2025

Kelly joined the Raiders as assistant general manager in 2022 and served as Las Vegas’ interim general manager to close the 2023 season following former GM Dave Ziegler’s dismissal.

The Raiders opted for Tom Telesco as its full-time GM for the 2024 season. Telesco and former Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce were fired by owner Mark Davis after the 2024 season.

John Spytek, formerly the assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was announced as the Raiders’ new general manager in January.

Before arriving in Las Vegas, Kelly spent seven seasons in Chicago with the Bears. Kelly served as the Bears’ assistant director of player personnel from 2017-21 following a two-year stint as the Bears’ director of pro scouting.

Prior to his Chicago stint, Kelly spent eight seasons with the Denver Broncos. Kelly joined the Broncos in 2007 and served as a Northeast region college scout and then as the assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Kelly served as the assistant director of pro personnel during his final five seasons in Denver.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/17/raiders-part-ways-assistant-general-manager-champ-kelly/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders add mid-round drafted WR who played for Chip Kelly at UCLA

Tuesday Chip Kelly got one of his former players to join him with the Raiders. The team signed free agent WR Kyle Philips.

Philips played for Kelly at UCLA and became a fifth round pick by the Titans in the 2022 draft. He played two seasons in Tennessee, catching 23 passes for 259 yards and was waived prior to the start of last season with an injury designation. He spent last season on the Eagles’ practice squad.

Philips caught 163 passes for 1821 yards and 17 touchdowns over four seasons under Kelly in Westwood. He also returned 25 punts for 496 yards with two going for touchdowns.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/raiders-sign-former-titans-eagles-ucla-wr-kyle-phillips/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Aaron Rodgers is not what Raiders need right now

There’s some good vibes happening in Las Vegas right now. They got the hottest GM candidate out there in John Spytek, Tom Brady offering his insight as a minority owner, a legendary head coach in place in Pete Carroll, a innovative OC in Chip Kelly, retained popular DC Patrick Graham, have a ton of cap space, and a lot of draft capital as well.

There’s plenty to feel good about. Yeah, they need a few things. But what they don’t need is Aaron Rodgers. In fact, I’d go as far as to say he is the *last* thing they need.

And yet since the moment the Jets announced they were going to be releasing him, the first team that seems to come up as a potential landing spot for Rodgers is the Raiders.

I don’t get it. Honestly I don’t.

Even if you remove his annual off-field anti-science nonsense, his weird self-involved code-speak appearances on weekly podcasts, or his annual “darkness retreats” that leave his team in limbo while he decides whether he still wants to play, he’s still not a good fit.

And, mind you, you can’t remove that stuff. It’s a package deal, baby.

But let’s just look at the Raiders for a second.

This team has been floundering for the better part of 23 years now. First it was bandaid veteran castoffs who either failed epically or were just mediocre.

Then there was JaMarcus Russell which was just bad luck that the Raiders had the top pick in a year where he was considered the top QB in the draft. Then more failings.

Then nine years of fool’s gold Derek Carr behind center.

And now two years back with the bandaid/bridge quarterbacks. They wanted a fresh start and they got one.

It’s well overdue for the Raiders to go all in on a potential long term franchise QB. That means either sign a young QB with upside (ie Sam Darnold) or use their top pick on one.

Rodgers is 41 years old. He’s three years removed from his last Pro Bowl season. His touchdowns have been down and his interception numbers have been in the double digits. Even reuniting with Davante Adams didn’t help things.

What do the Raiders actually gain from signing a 41-year-old bridge quarterback?

I mean, besides kicking the can down the road again (again)? Besides adding a locker room vibe-wrecking unnecessary sideshow headache?

Two teams have already grown tired of his act and his fading talents. The Packers were ready to go with Jordan Love and have been a better team since making that decision. And now the Jets have as well. Leading to a chef’s kiss of an Onion headline.

Numerous Teams Express Interest In Aaron Rodgers Playing Elsewhere
theonion.com/numerous-tea…

[image or embed]

— The Onion (@theonion.com) February 18, 2025 at 8:28 AM

There is a school of thought that says signing a potential starting QB is a good idea so you go into the draft with someone in place. The thinking being two-fold — so you have a QB in case your guy isn’t there and so teams are less likely to jump ahead of you thinking you won’t draft a quarteback.

The most recent example of this was last year with the Falcons signing Kirk Cousins only to take Washington QB Michael Penix with the ninth overall pick.

There is a big difference there. And it’s age. Cousins is five years younger. So, the Falcons legitimately could have gone with him as their QB long term should there not have been a QB they liked in the draft. Likewise, that was enough of a possibility that it stunned a lot of people when they pulled the trigger on Penix anyway.

Signing Rodgers would not fool anyone. Teams would still know full well the Raiders would be looking to take a QB near the top of the draft if at all possible because Rodgers is not a long term answer.

And don’t give me the ‘but Tom Brady played until he was 45 and won a Super Bowl at 44’. If there’s anything you should know by now, it’s that Brady is the exception to all the rules. He also wasn’t spending every offseason in his late 30s/early 40s flirting with retirement. He was always all-in.

Not to mention Brady’s numbers in his 40s blow Rodgers’s career numbers out of the water. Five of Brady’s six seasons in his 40s were better than any of Rodgers’s six seasons since his late 30s. There’s simply no comparison.

Rodgers isn’t the answer the Raiders need. Signing him would be a mistake. They don’t need a one-year patch or a bridge. They need a potential long haul QB.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/aaron-rodgers-is-not-what-raiders-need-right-now/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders favorite to be Matthew Stafford's next team should Rams trade QB

The Rams may or may not be trading former Super Bowl champion QB Matt Stafford. But if they do, they are said to be asking for a first round pick. Would the Raiders be interested in such a deal? The oddsmakers seem to think so.

You’d have to think if the Raiders were to send a first round pick to LA for the 37-year-old, it wouldn’t be this year’s pick. If only because the sixth overall pick is a steep price for an aging QB likely on his last contract. And the contract he is looking for will be pricey. Then again, what price — both in terms of draft compensation and contract dollars — would you pay for a few years of a proven starting QB? It’s an intriguing thought.

While the oddsmakers favor Stafford staying in LA, should they move him, the Raiders top the list of potential trade partners. Here is the list of the current odds for what team Stafford will play for in 2025 (via BetUS):

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/li...ite-matthew-stafford-next-team-rams-trade-qb/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders looking at massive cap space as NFL salary cap to make bigger leap than expected

Each year the NFL salary cap goes up proportionate to league revenue. Which means what the actual number will be is speculation until it’s official.

Up to this point, the predictions as to exactly where it lands this coming season have ranged from $265 million to $275 million. With the salary cap tracking service Over the Cap putting it at $272 in their projections.

While the official number isn’t out yet, as it turns out the number is going to blow all predictions out of the water.

The NFL today informed teams that the 2025 per-team salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million, way up from last year’s $255.4 million. Cap will have increased by more than $53 million over the last two years.

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) February 19, 2025

The low of $277.5 is more than two million higher than the highest previous estimates and some $5 million above what OTC was working with. And the high end of the range would be close to $10 million more.

With the OTC now putting their cap estimate at $279.5 million, the Raiders stand to have some $100 million in cap room. Here is where the Raiders rank among other teams in terms of salary cap room:

1. New England Patriots — $118.9
2. Las Vegas Raiders — $99.7 million
3. Washington Commanders — $82.2 million
4. Arizona Cardinals — $76.5 million
5. Los Angeles Chargers — $70.4 million

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Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...fl-2025-salary-cap-bigger-leap-than-expected/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

The Athletic beat writer mock draft: Raiders trade some draft capital to secure franchise QB

Some moves just seem to make obvious sense. For instance, if we’re looking at the Raiders situation at QB right this moment and comparing it to their position atop the draft, there is one move that would seem to make a good deal of sense — they may need to trade up.

This is a conversation I had with a friend and former colleague just a few days ago. He was analyzing the talent at every position atop this draft and what would seem like the most realistic scenario as to how things would play out. What we came to was that Shedeur Sanders may very well make it out of the top three, perhaps even the top four. But may not make it to six.

And, like I said, if the Raiders are unable to secure a viable QB in free agency — and there aren’t many of those — the team will be in no position to risk missing out on a QB in the draft by sitting tight at six and hoping one falls to them.

Then you look at the fact that they have two high third round picks (their original pick at 68 and pick 73 from the Davante Adams trade) and the answer would seem to be staring you in the face — trade one of those third round picks to jump two spots to land your quarterback.

Thursday morning, The Athletic released their beat writer mock draft in which Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed see the logic in such a move as well.

After the top three picks went WR Travis Hunter (Titans), DE Abdul Carter (Browns), and QB Cam Ward (Giants), they had the Raiders make a deal with the Patriots at four, sending the Raiders original third round pick at 68 to New England in order to jump up and take Sanders.

Sanders has a strong relationship (and had an NIL deal in college) with minority owner Tom Brady, has already met owner Mark Davis and should be comfortable in offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s system, which blends NFL and college concepts. He doesn’t have dynamic physical traits, but he’s mobile, accurate, has a good arm and displayed important intangibles such as leadership, poise and the ability to navigate adversity during his time at Jackson State and Colorado. In drafting him, Las Vegas hopes to end the revolving door it has had at QB since releasing Derek Carr in 2023.

Some might wonder why the Raiders would leapfrog the Jaguars — who don’t need a quarterback — at five in order to move up to get Sanders. Well, because if they don’t, someone else will. For instance, the equally QB-needy Jets at pick seven.

What the Patriots get is two-fold here. They ensure their division rival doesn’t get a shot at a franchise QB atop this draft, while still picking ahead of them and adding a third round pick. Everyone wins. At least between the Raiders and Patriots, anyway.

Patriots beat writer Chad Graff said as much in his write-up, when he had the Patriots selecting OT Will Campbell at six overall.

Sure, this isn’t the kind of one-sided trade it sometimes takes to move into the top-5 and take a quarterback. But we were stuck trying to pick between Mason Graham and Will Campbell at No. 4, so when the Raiders offered a fair deal (according to draft charts), it was a no-brainer to move back, add another third-round pick and take whichever of Graham or Campbell fell. The goal for the Patriots is to build through the trenches, and Campbell (like Graham would’ve done) fills an immediate need.

Granted, this trade would require one of either Ward or Sanders to come out of the top three. Which would mean the top two teams — who both also need quarterbacks — do what these beat writers predict and draft best player available rather than reach for need. And with the immense talent of Hunter and Carter, that’s very possible. Either of them would be hard to pass up.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...e-3rd-round-patriots-pick-qb-shedeur-sanders/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

NFL media thinks Raiders top free agent could be underpriced on market

By most accounts, the top free agent set to hit the market from the Raiders is safety Tre’von Moehrig. One such account was ESPN recently who had him as one of just two Raiders free agents in the top 50, coming in at 13.

It makes it all the more interesting that Kevin Patra at NFL media just listed Moehrig among those players who he thinks will be underpriced on the open market.

This could be a swing-and-miss on my part, as Moehrig might have a stronger market than I anticipate. However, GMs have mostly eschewed spending on safeties in free agency in recent years. If they do so again, Moehrig could offer some C.J. Gardner-Johnson-type dividends. A playmaker who has improved every season, Moehrig showed versatility in the past two years, playing more toward the line of scrimmage (104 tackles in 2024). He’s generated five INTs, 18 passes defended and three sacks since the beginning of the 2023 campaign. At 25, he’s the type of still-growing, multi-talented safety teams should want in their secondary.

This is just to say that Moehrig is worth more than he will fetch, which speaks highly of his talents. The question is how hard the Raiders will push to try and keep him off that open market. And if Moehrig will test it to see what kind of market he will have.

Both Moehrig and fellow safety Marcus Epps are set to become free agents. So too is slot cornerback Nate Hobbs, who should also be a high priority for the Raiders to bring back.

Also see: Top five under-the-radar Raiders free agents

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...cy-raiders-safety-trevon-moehrig-underpriced/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Top 5 WR free agent fits for Raiders

There’s a big hole in the Raiders offense. I mean other than quarterback. The Raiders will absolutely have to find an answer at quarterback, but they will also want to set him up with some weapons. And currently a number one wide receiver is something they’re lacking.

Some might argue that Brock Bowers is their number one receiver. And there’s an argument to be made there, but imagine, if you will, if the Raiders *also* have a dynamic wide receiver who could take the top off the defense? They had Davante Adams for that, but three games into last season, he was ready to move on because the team hadn’t properly addressed the quarterback position for the last two offseasons.

The draft could be a place to look for a top wide receiver. But before that, there will be a few guys who could potentially be that guy. Let’s take a look at the top five for what the Raiders need.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/lists/top-5-wr-free-agent-fits-for-raiders/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

When Raiders GM John Spytek, HC Pete Carroll will speak at NFL Scouting Combine

Next week is the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. One of the things that happen at the Combine is GM’s and head coaches from NFL clubs step behind the podium for press conference. Often times clubs only make one or the other available. This year for the Raiders, both will be made available.

Both Raiders GM John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll will speak on Tuesday, February 25. Spytek will take the podium at 11am (8am Pacific) and Carroll will speak at 2pm (11am Pacific).

Both Spytek and Carroll were introduced by the Raiders last month, making this their second press conference in their current positions.

This is Spytek’s first Combine press conference as a GM as this is his first time being a GM after several years as assistant GM with the Buccaneers.

Combine press conferences are old hat for Carroll who had been a head coach at the NFL level for 18 years prior, the previous 14 years with the Seahawks. He spent last season out of the league and returns to head coaching at the NFL level at the age of 73.

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Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...arroll-press-conference-nfl-scouting-combine/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Top 5 running back free agent fits for Raiders

Josh Jacobs had a hell of a season last year…for the Packers. Meanwhile the Raiders were floundering with Zamir White and Alexander Mattison as the starting running back. They got some decent play late in the season from undrafted Sincere McCormick and journeyman veteran Ameer Abdullah, but that’s not gonna cut it.

Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly both love to run the ball. Carroll in particular has had some great running backs carry the rock for his offenses over the years. Most notably Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch who he rode to two trips to the Super Bowl and a Lombardi Trophy. And the moment Marshawn wasn’t given the ball when he should have been was the moment they saw the second Lombardi slip through their fingers.

You can bet Carroll will be making running back a priority.

The draft appears packed with talent at the position. Making a lot of teams consider holding off to address the position until then. And while the Raiders absolutely should partake in that, they should also bulk up the position in free agency. Especially considering the strong draft class should help lower the price of a somewhat weak free agent class.

Here are the top five free agent running backs for the Raiders needs.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/lists/top-5-running-back-free-agent-fits-for-raiders/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Top 5 free agent QB options for Raiders

Before the draft comes around and the hopes that the Raiders can land either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, they will have a shot in free agency at either landing a potential answer at QB or bolstering the position.

As is often the case with the QB free agent market, there aren’t a lot of fantastic options, but there are a few decent ones. And the Raiders would be smart to bring one in either as the new starter or as competition. Here are the top five options for them this free agency period.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/lists/top-5-free-agent-quarterback-options-for-raiders/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

NFL international designated teams announced: Could Raiders play abroad in 2025?

There will be a whopping seven NFL games played internationally this year. Thus far only the home teams have been announced for those games. While the Raiders are not hosting any games internationally, there is still a chance they could be the away team for one of those matchups.

Eliminated​

Dublin Ireland​

The Bills are the home team and the Raiders don’t face Buffalo this season

London UK​

Home teams are the Browns, Jaguars, and Jets.The Jaguars and Browns are among the Raiders 2025 opponents, but both of those matchups are Raiders home games, which means you can eliminate London from the list of possible locations for Raiders games this season.

Madrid Spain​

The Dolphins are the designated team and the Raiders don’t play the Dolphins this season.

Unlikely​

San Paulo Brazil​

The Chargers open the season in Brazil. Not only does the league prefer not to send division rivalry games abroad, but the Raiders opened last season against the Chargers, so it seems unlikely the NFL would do it in consecutive seasons.

Possible​

Berlin Germany​

The Colts are the designated team and the Raiders are among the Colts’ road opponents next season. I will add that it’s the NFC that has more away games this season, so it would seem more likely the Colts would face one of their NFC away opponents which would be either the Falcons, Cardinals, or 49ers.

So, really, it’s Berlin or bust this season for the Raiders. Should they not be the Colts’ opponent, it would raise the possibility the Raiders could play an international game abroad in 2026.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...nal-designated-teams-could-raiders-opponents/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders bring back starting safety

The Raiders had three starting safeties last season. And all three were set to become free agents if not re-signed by the team. Monday, the Raiders made a move to get one of them back.

Former undrafted safety Isaiah Pola-Mao was entering his fourth NFL season. But as a former undrafted free agent, in order for that to happen, the team would have to either sign his RFA tender or give him an extension. One way or another, there was every expectation they would bring back the special teams standout who started 14 games last season.

It’s said to be a two-year deal worth up to $8.45 million according to his agent.

To be clear, we don’t know how much heavy lifting the words “up to” could be doing here. Suffice to say, that means incentives are involved, which would suggest he only gets paid that much if he plays well enough to earn it.

Pola-Mao started alongside Tre’von Moehrig at safety after the loss of Marcus Epps for the season in week three.

Both Moehrig and Epps’s contract are up which means if the Raiders don’t re-sign them before the start of free agency, they will become unrestricted free agents.

Epps and Moehrig were a stout duo at the two safety spots in 2023 and looked to continue that this past season before Epps’s injury. Moehrig went on to have his best season, showing an added ability to play close to the line of scrimmage, raising his value.

Pola-Mao did some good things last season, but had his issues as well. The Raiders will need to bring back either Moehrig, Epps or both. If they let either go, they will have to look at either free agency or the draft to replace them.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/24/raiders-bring-back-starting-safety/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

3 former Raiders among most fined NFL players in 2024

Monday the Action Network put out their list ranking the most fined NFL teams and players in the last season. On that list the Raiders came out ok, with the 12th most fines.

In terms of individual players, there were no Raiders players in the top ten most fine, but there was a few *former* Raiders who really racked up the fines.

The most fined team in the league last season, by a wide margin was the Texans. And the reason for that comes down to two players — Denico Autry and Mario Edwards Jr.

As it happens, Autry and Edwards both spent three seasons lining up next to each other for the Raiders (2015-17)

Autry had the league’s largest fine totaling $2,176,470 as part of his six-game suspension for violating the league’s rules on performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Edwards had the eighth highest fines, coming in at $325,359 due to a four-game suspension for substance abuse.

A third former Raider was among the most fined players. That of WR Zay Jones who was suspended for five games for conduct detrimental to the league with the fine for that reaching $491,667.

Jones played with the Raiders for three seasons from 2019-21, first in Oakland and then in Las Vegas.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...rds-jr-zay-jones-most-fined-nfl-players-2024/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Pete Carroll's approach proves he is right coach at right time for Raiders

The Raiders are so ready for this. Past ready. All the failed experiments with head coaches the past few years have led to this. Finally a well-respected, well-liked, established coach in the building.

At the risk of sounding like I’m overselling a 73-year-old coach, it’s about a lot more than just his status and bonafides. It’s about his philosophy to coaching. And it’s about how it’s just what *this* Raiders team need at *this* moment. It’s one he’s used at two previous stops with great success. Something he drilled down on in his combine press conference Tuesday.

“The whole experiment going to Seattle after USC,” Carroll said, “was to see if we could carry the mentality and the approach to how we dealt with the people in the program and the people outside of program – the fans the following as well – in a similar fashion to see what would happen. What was different between and the NFL. I didn’t find any difference at all. And I was really thrilled about that. And it just supported the mentality. If there was anything that was easy to see transfer from college to the NFL, it’s how you treat people and how you look out for them and how you care for them. And you realize that the connection and the interaction that you can have with people can help them find the best they have to offer.”

If you’d like an example of how this would work for this team, you need only go back to the 2023 season. What you saw there was the same team go from a complete mess to a focused, well-adjusted squad.

They were happy, first and foremost. They went from the most unlikable head coach in the league (Josh McDaniels) to a fiery former player (Antonio Pierce). They lit up cigars in the locker room after their first win. And it was no coincidence it was also the first game all season that the offense scored over 20 points.

It didn’t matter in the slightest that McDaniels was a supposed offensive genius. Or that Pierce had never even held a coordinator position at the NFL level. The human element took over and the players…well, they played.

As we know, this didn’t carry over to 2024, when Pierce was given the job full time. Part of that was the fact that much of what he brought to the table as an interim head coach didn’t carry over.

Moreso, what you saw last season was the exposure of those aspects of Pierce’s coaching that were lacking. His fiery nature was great, but it came with an emotional rollercoaster that seemed to alienate and turn off a lot of players. And his terrible game management led to a complete lack of confidence that he would get the most out of every snap.

Obviously emotional rollercoasters and poor game management are not going to be concerns with the old ball coach. And his fiery nature only seems to show up when it comes to supporting his guys.

In that regard, what Mark Davis and company learned from the likes of McDaniels and Pierce was what mattered most. And Pete Carroll’s coaching mentality checks all the right boxes.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/25/pete-carroll-approach-right-coach-right-time-raiders/

 

[Las Vegas Raiders]

Raiders hope these coaching staff additions can provide leg up in NFL draft evaluations

Every NFL team is looking for the ingredients within its organization to create some form or fashion of an advantage over the rest of the league.

New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll might have found an avenue that can create an advantage for Las Vegas.

Eight members of Carroll’s inaugural coaching staff in Las Vegas make their way to the Raiders from the college ranks. Carroll said that was by design and it should help Las Vegas in its 2025 NFL draft evaluations.

“It’s a really good point that you’re observing. The guys coming out of college football have a connection with the players, and not just the ones on their own teams, but the players that they’ve been playing against, the guys they’ve seen through recruiting.

“They’ve known these kids that are playing for years, and so in this draft in particular, and as it affected us when we started in Seattle, we really hit it in the middle to lower round picks, because I think we had better intel than maybe guys that hadn’t had that opportunity to connect to college. So it’s important to me to try to mix that. If you notice, we’ve been able to do that some. So it’s a real benefit,” Carroll said.

Carroll and the Raiders brought in Chip Kelly as the franchise’s new offensive coordinator. Kelly was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State in 2024, helping guide the Buckeyes to the national championship.

Kelly previously spent three years as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ head coach from 2013-15 and one as the San Francisco 49ers‘ head coach in 2016.

Carroll and the Raiders also added Sean Binckes as an offensive assistant, Brennan Carroll as its run game coordinator and offensive line coach, Kyle Fuller as its offensive quality control coach, Deland McCullough as its running backs coach, Ty McKenzie as its defensive assistant and linebackers coach, Beyah Rasool as its defensive quality control coach and Rowan as a defensive assistant.

Binckes spent 2024 as a graduate assistant at Ohio State, Carroll as the offensive coordinator at the University of Washington, Fuller as the assistant offensive line coach at Appalachian State, McCullough as the Notre Dame run game coordinator and running backs coach, McKenzie as a defensive analyst for North Carolina, Rasool as a Florida quality control coach and Rowan as Georgia Southern’s defensive line coach.

The Raiders own eight selections in the 2025 NFL draft, including the No. 6 overall selection.

Source: https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/20...aching-staff-additions-leg-up-2025-nfl-draft/