Free agency started early for the Las Vegas Raiders this year as the tandem of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek agreed to terms with recently released guard Alex Cappa on Wednesday. Cappa, who was let go by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week, lands in Sin City on a two-year, $11 million deal.
Spending three years with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bengals since 2019, Cappa has been a starter for each of his last six campaigns with both clubs. The 30-year-old guard has missed only four contests throughout this timespan.
From 2018-2021, both Cappa and now-Raiders general manager John Spytek were members of the Buccaneers organization. The tight connection between the two serves as good reason why Cappa was quickly swooped up by Las Vegas.
This past year, during the NFL’s ’24 season, Cappa was at his worst. The newest Raider was one-of-six guards across the entirety of the NFL to start at least 10 games who earned a pass-blocking grade south of 40.0 (39.7) via Pro Football Focus. No guard league-wide allowed more pressures than Cappa, whose 51 pressures were eight more than the second-most allowed.
The now-former Bengal tied with Shaq Mason for most sacks allowed (8) at the guard position as well.
Las Vegas Raiders start free agency early: Pete Carroll, John Spytek add Alex Cappa to roster
The trajectory of Cappa’s career isn’t a favorable one. Even in 2023, the former third-rounder was responsible for the 11th-most pressures among all guards league-wide (35) and four sacks.
That may worry Raider Nation. But, it shouldn’t.
Remember: There’s 53 players on an NFL team’s active roster. They can’t all be stars. If you’re lucky enough to get veterans with plentiful starting experience to fill out your club’s depth, you’re in good shape.
And that’s exactly what Cappa is; a depth piece with plentiful starting experience.
The Raiders’ offensive line is completely figured out. Although the unit started the year in rough shape, the pieces were put together upon Jackson Powers-Johnson moving to center in Week 9 and finishing the season at center with a pass-blocking grade of 74.3, the 14th-highest grade at his position. Powers-Johnson was one-of-five centers league-wide to post a grade of 70-plus in both run- and pass-blocking from Week 9 onward.
As Powers-Johnson took over at center, Jordan Meredith replaced Powers-Johnson at guard. The Raiders rookie struggled at guard throughout the first two months of his career. Fortunately, Meredith couldn’t have played the position much better.
From Week 9 onward, Meredith was the 15th-highest graded guard (76.9) across the NFL. Meredith, like Powers-Johnson, earned a grade of 70-plus as both a run- and pass-blocker.
Cappa gives the Raiders a veteran who can step in without a learning curve if needed. That’s why the team elected to pay him $11 million over the course of two seasons.
*Top Photo: Steve Roberts/ Imagn Images
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