Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders kicked off organized team activities (OTAs) at Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada, on Monday. Veterans and rookies are mingling in the competitive environment established by head coach Pete Carroll, who’s working to reset the team’s culture.
This offseason, the Raiders have several positions up for grabs, most notably at guard and cornerback. As of Tuesday, the team has 87 players on the roster, leaving room to add a few newcomers in the coming weeks.
Away from the field, the Raiders are taking a patient approach with a star player’s recovery, though they expect his return by training camp this summer.
With OTAs underway, let’s examine the five biggest storylines to monitor during spring practices.
Christian Wilkins’ recovery from a Jones fracture in his left foot remains the biggest off-field storyline.
A month ago, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed reported that Wilkins’ healing process has been gradual, but the Raiders remain confident he’ll be ready for training camp.
As OTAs kicked off Monday, Reed followed up with an update that raised questions:
“His injured foot was placed in a walking boot, but he was out of it by the end of the season. Then, earlier this offseason, his foot was placed back in a boot, according to team sources. He was back out of the boot during OTA workouts recently, but the back-and-forth has raised questions about his recovery process.”
The Raiders have no need to rush Wilkins back to action. While he’ll play in the same defensive system as last year, his early-season conditioning could become an issue if he misses most of the offseason program.
Following Nate Hobbs’ departure in free agency, Darnay Holmes stands as the only established slot cornerback on the roster. According to Pro Football Focus, Hobbs (210), Holmes (162), and Tre’von Moehrig (123) took the most snaps in the slot last year.
Carroll is fostering a competitive environment in Las Vegas, meaning Holmes won’t automatically claim the nickelback job. While it’s unclear who will emerge as his top competitors, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore suggests safety Thomas Harper may take some snaps at nickelback. Rookie Greedy Vance Jr. brings significant slot experience from his two years at USC, giving him perhaps the clearest path to a substantial role among undrafted rookies.
Las Vegas allowed Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo to walk in free agency, creating vacancies for two new full-time starters at linebacker.
To date, the Raiders have signed Devin White and Elandon Roberts while adding Jaylon Smith, who played just 25 defensive snaps with the club in 2023, and rookie seventh-rounder Cody Lindenberg.
General manager John Spytek has taken fliers on linebackers who were either inactive or in rotational roles in 2024. White and Roberts each played less than 45 percent of the defensive snaps for their respective teams last season, while Smith didn’t...
