By Matt Khitikian

Put it all on (Silver and) Black – What Else Can the Raiders Do to Maxx-imize Their Roster?

By now you’ve probably heard that the Las Vegas Raiders have extended standout DE Maxx Crosby to a 3-year deal worth $106.5 million (91.5 million guaranteed), making him the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL.  

Though he had a down year in 2024 with only 12 games started, 28 solo tackles and 7.5 sacks (the second-lowest season total of his career), Crosby had over 12 sacks in 2022 & 2023 and has become the face of a franchise otherwise devoid of big names and star power.

The Raiders also have a deal in place with former Bengal Alex Cappa, who’s agreed to a two-year deal for $11 million, with $5.5 guaranteed.  Perhaps not surprisingly, Cappa has ties to both minority owner Tom Brady and new GM John Spytek, having been part of Brady’s offensive line in Tampa Bay. Like Crosby, Cappa’s coming off a down year but he’s only missed one regular season game over the past 5 years and will likely push current Raider Dylan Parham for a starting spot.

In other roster moves, Vegas recently re-signed safety Isaiah Pola-Malo (only 1 INT and 3 sacks in three seasons).  QB Desmond Ridder won’t be retained and QB Gardner Minshew will be cut on or after March 12, likely with a post-June 1 designation that’d save Vegas $12.5 million against the 2025 cap. This leaves Aidan O’Connell as the lone Raiders quarterback for the moment.  

With Matt Stafford re-upping as a Ram, many pundits believe Vegas will target Sam Darnold, but is one good year after several bad ones a sign of things to come, or an aberration?  Does that mean the Raiders look to Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or Jacoby Brissett? Could they run it back with Marcus Mariota, or see what Trey Lance has left in the tank?  Or perhaps Kirk Cousins, who, playing injured in the latter half of 2024, lost his starting gig in Atlanta and is looking for greener pastures?

Two years after drafting Michael Mayer in the 2nd round, the TE is on the trade block (thanks in part to the emergence of Brock Bowers) after a 2024 campaign of 21 catches and 156 yards.  The Raiders may also be looking to offload Zamir White, who closed out the 2023 campaign with two 100+ yard games but failed to earn more than 50 yards on the ground in 2024 (in a game where he had 17 attempts). The Raiders can surely find another RB who can average more than 2.8 yards per carry (for comparison, current Raider Ameer Abdullah averaged 4.7 in 2024, Alexander Mattison averaged 3.2 and rookie Sincere McCormick averaged 4.7).

And then the news out of Seattle, where hours after WR Tyler Lockett was released, WR D.K. Metcalf requested a trade. Metcalf may not have the stereotypical Raiders-coveted speed, but he has arms the size of cement factories, three 1,000 yard seasons (he missed another by 9 yards in 2024) and averages 8.7 yards per target. There’s an obvious connection to current Vegas coach Pete Carroll but Metcalf would provide an upgrade to Vegas’ WR corps for whomever’s throwing the ball in 2025. Another WR upgrade-option could be Chris Godwin, who’s a free agent. Although he’s injury prone, Godwin would help the Raiders and take pressure off of Brock Bowers, who presumably will be the Raiders #1 or #2 pass-catching option in 2025.

On defense, there’re plenty of free-agent options.  Would Khalil Mack consider a return to the silver and black?  What about Joey Bosa, just released by the Los Angeles Chargers, or even Asante Samuel Jr. (yes, Los Angeles has several defensive holes to fill these days). It’s well known that free agent Haason Reddick wasn’t happy as a Jet, but he’s on the wrong side of 30 years old. As it is every year, the free agent list is long in names but short on ‘must have’ talent. Spytek and the Raiders scouting staff have a ton of homework ahead and need to hit on just about every choice if the Raiders are going to be competitive in 2025 within a very tough AFC West division.