Silver And Black Pride
It’s Week 12 and the Las Vegas Raiders are set to take on the Cleveland Browns. However, most people (rightfully) are less concerned with the game and more focused on the 2026 NFL draft and free agency, taking us into this week’s mailbag with an emphasis on the offseason.
A: People aren’t going to like this, but this is why I think the Raiders are looking at at least a two-year rebuild and wouldn’t mind using a “redshirt” year if they draft a quarterback in April. There are so many holes on the roster that the team’s problems aren’t going to get solved in one offseason, and, to your point, they run the risk of ruining a young QB’s confidence by rushing him onto the field with a subpar supporting cast.
I do like your idea of getting a couple of offensive linemen in free agency, especially if they can target younger guys who are looking for their second contracts. Those are hard to find, though, since the teams that drafted them typically don’t let them hit the open market if they’re any good.
Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see if Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant can be part of the solution before the offseason, but Pete Carroll seems to be standing in the way of allowing that to happen.
Q: Given the dead cap of Christian Wilkins and likely Geno Smith, how would you go about prioritizing filling the roster in free agency and the draft?
A: Even with Wilkins accounting for nearly $30 million of dead cap right now, the Raiders are projected to begin the offseason with the second-most cap space in the league at $108.2 million, per Over The Cap. If they do cut Smith in the spring, that will add to their dead cap total, but the organization will free up $8 million of cap space.
OTC has Geno as a $26.5 million cap hit if he stays on the roster, and the number drops to $18.5 million if he gets cut. He has an $8 million roster guarantee that comes into effect on March 15, so the Raiders would just have to cut him before that date to save the money.
As far as free agency goes, I’d apply the same philosophy mentioned above with the offensive line by targeting players who are looking for second contracts at any other position to add more young talent to the roster. In the draft, stick to getting the best player available in each round, even if that means doubling up on positions.
Ultimately, this roster has too many needs to get picky when it comes to what positions to address this offseason. So, I’d just go after as much young talent as possible.
A: I don’t have personal top fives at offensive tackle and cornerback, so I’ll defer to the Bleacher Report big board for those positions. For those who don’t know, I contribute to B/R’s scouting department as the defensive front seven scout, in...
