The Las Vegas Raiders have done a great job of bringing in talent this offseason. Through free agency, trades, and the NFL draft, they are poised to upgrade their roster at nearly every position. Once head coach Josh Mcdaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler get a look at their new team in action, they’ll have a lot of big decisions to make as 33 players will see their contracts expire at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
Let’s take a look at this Raiders roster and their contracts
Big names on offense are heading into the last year of their contract…
Derek Carr has been the talk of the offseason the last few weeks. He has just one year remaining before he is set to hit free agency. The question is, are the Raiders going to let that happen? Backup signal-callers Garrett Gilbert and Nick Mullens will also hit the market next season.
Along with Carr, running backs Kenyan Drake, Ameer Abdullah, and fullbacks Sutton Smith and Jakob Johnson are set to enter free agency at the start of the next league year. Abdullah, Johnson, and Abdullah are new to the city, but Drake and Smith have experience playing with the Silver and Black from the 2021 season. Both of them played a lot last season, but McDaniels’ offensive mind might make them less important in 2022.
How does the tight end position look?
Tight ends Foster Moreau, Nick Bowers, and Jacob Hollister are all under contract for just one more year. At the conclusion of this season, the Raiders will have just one on their roster: Darren Waller. McDaniels is known for loving his tight ends, so look for him to potentially extend one of them midseason.
Along with his tight end corps, Carr’s wide receiver group is also set to dwindle after this season. Pending any changes, Hunter Renfrow and Tyron Johnson will both hit free agency. Renfrow is widely expected to receive an extension before that point, but that may come during the season. DeMarcus Robinson and Mack Hollins will also be free agents in 2023. Both signed one-year deals this offseason, giving them just one year to prove their value in Las Vegas.
Offensive linemen Denzelle Good, Brandon Parker, Jermaine Eluemunor, Jackson Barton, Jordan Meredith, and Kamaal Seymour round out the Raiders’ offensive contracts set to expire in 2023. The O-line is one of the biggest focuses of the roster, so few, if any, of these players have the potential to return for another contract.
Several defensive players will be playing on short-term commitments
The Raiders’ biggest names on defense, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones, are both tied to the organization for the immediate future. Crosby’s extension makes him a Raider through the 2026 season, while Jones’ contract is good through 2024.
The most pressing defensive contract right now is that of Denzel Perryman, who has just one year remaining on his contract. Perryman was one of the defensive MVPs in 2021, making the Pro Bowl and having over 100 tackles. Depending on whether he’s a good fit in Patrick Graham’s defense will determine if he gets a longer commitment from the Raiders.
Jayon Brown signed a one-year deal with the Raiders recently, giving him a chance to find his long-term home. Kyler Fackrell and Micah Kiser round out the linebackers heading into the final year of their contracts.
“Prove-it” deals for the Raiders
Other big defensive names like Trayvon Mullen and Rock Ya-Sin are also entering the final year of their contracts. In 2021, Mullen was hindered by injury. Meanwhile, Ya-Sin is facing his first year in the Silver and Black this season. Both cornerbacks have a lot to prove this year as new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is sure to deploy only the best at their position.
Las Vegas has many depth players that are entering their “prove-it” year. Players like Anthony Averett, Dallin Leavitt, Darius Phillips, Vernon Butler, Andrew Billings, Kyle Peko, and Kendal Vickers will battle for their spot on the 53-man roster, and for a chance to stay in Las Vegas past the 2022 season.
The Raiders are set to have just over $79 million in cap space next offseason. It’s probable this will decrease thanks to a Hunter Renfrow extension and more signings this offseason, but at this point, McDaniels and Ziegler are in a good position to upgrade their roster and extend any of the players they see propelling them to Las Vegas’ first Super Bowl championship. To quote the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, “Just give me good players.”
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken