Diving into what the Oklahoma linebacker could bring to the Raiders

While Elandon Roberts provides the Las Vegas Raiders with a temporary replacement to fill the void Robert Spillane left in free agency, the Raiders could use a long-term option to take on the run-stuffing linebacker role. That should put Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman on Las Vegas’ radar in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-3 and 235-pound former Sooner ranked third among all FBS backers with a 90.9 grade and 49 ‘defensive stops’ as a run defender last season, according to Pro Football Focus. Even more impressively, he put up...

Fielding Raider Nation’s questions for the week

Free agency has cooled off and we’re officially less than a month away from the 2025 NFL Draft, meaning the Las Vegas Raiders are getting close to being on the clock.

There are plenty of avenues the Raiders can go down with the sixth overall pick of the draft as prospects like Ashton Jeanty, Tetairoa McMillan and Mason Graham — just to name a few — are getting thrown around. But the draft is seven rounds for a reason and Las Vegas currently holds nine picks to address the team’s needs.

So, let’s...

Most fans would rather go in another direction

Remember when there was no argument needed and the Las Vegas Raiders absolutely had to use the No. 6 overall pick in the April 24-26 draft on a quarterback?

That was so January and February.

Then, Geno Smith happened.

The Raiders, of course, went the veteran route and traded for Smith from the Seattle Seahawks this month. Smith, who turns 35 during the season, is expected to be Las Vegas’ starting quarterback for the next few years.

So, that takes away the urgent need of finding a young quarterback.

Yet, there have...

There is some change at the position

The Las Vegas Raiders have had some change at safety this offseason.

Let’s take a look where the position stands two weeks into free agency:

New free agent added:

Jeremy Chinn (Washington Commanders), Lonnie Johnson (Carolina Panthers).

Free agent who departed:

Tre’von Moehrig (Carolina), Marcus Epps (New England Patriots).

Current free agents:

None.

Free agent who re-signed:

Isaiah Pola-Mao (He was given a two-year contract extension as a restricted free agent).

Returners:

Pola-Mao, Thomas Harper, Trey Taylor, Chris Smith.

Draft:

The Raiders could use some more depth, and they could look at safety...

Las Vegas among lowest spenders in NFL on that side of the ball

The Las Vegas Raiders’ offense badly needs to improve in 2025 after struggling for the past few seasons.

The new Las Vegas regime took a step to make that happen by trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.

Still, even with Smith, the Raiders are currently not slated to be big spenders on the offensive side of the ball in the 2025 NFL season. According to a recent tweet by NFL analyst Warren Sharp, the Raiders are currently salted to spend $101.9 million on...

Raiders have big presence at Boise State’s pro day.

Well, this won’t slow down the Ashton Jeanty-Las Vegas Raiders’ mock draft frenzy.

The Raiders had a visible and important presence at the Boise State pro day Wednesday, which, of course, featured the Broncos’ star running back Ashton Jeanty. Among the Raiders’ contingent in Boise was general manager John Spytek and running back coach Deland McCullough as documented by Boise State beat writer B.J. Rains.

On the surface, the Raiders’ big presence in Boise doesn’t mean much. All teams do their due diligence prior to the draft and attend at pro...

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This linebacker/edge rusher should be on the Raiders’ radar

Georgia’s Jalon Walker is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. After primarily serving as a rotational pass-rusher during his first two years with the Bulldogs, Walker took on a bigger role this past season by taking snaps as an off-ball linebacker.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders have an immediate need at linebacker and could use an edge rusher for the long haul since Malcolm Koonce is only on a one-year contract. In other words, the Georiga product should be on the Raiders’ radar.

Hybrid defenders...

What could the Alabama linebacker could bring to the Raiders’ defense

After losing Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo and missing out on Christian Elliss in free agency, linebacker is one of the Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest needs heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. While Elandon Roberts could temporarily fill one starting spot in Las Vegas, the Raiders could use a quality coverage linebacker like Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell.

Campbell burst onto the scene this past season, partially because of his 80.1 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus which ranked first among SEC linebackers. A big reason for that is the Alabama...

Could 49ers deal high-paid wide receiver?

There is speculation that the San Francisco 49ers may still trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk this offseason.

And the Las Vegas Raiders still need a a No. 1 wide receiver, or, at least, a starting quality wide receiver.

So, could that mean the Raiders and 49ers could get together on a trade in the coming days or weeks that would send Aiyuk to Las Vegas? It’s conceivable, sure.

But would be the cost?

Aiyuk, 27, is a talented player, but he is coming off of a serious injury and he has a huge contract....

Las Vegas fans are pleased with new starting quarterback

The biggest news and biggest move of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason so far was their trade for Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks.

In the veteran Smith, the Raiders got an upgrade at the most important position on the field and they answered their biggest need.

And, for the most part, fans of the franchise are satisfied with the major move.

Shortly after the trade was made, we asked our community members how they felt about the Smith trade. The vibe is good.

In an extremely active poll with 2,859...