Believe only half of what you see and even less of what you hear; however, the Las Vegas Raiders came out swinging.
John Spytek has the Raiders moving with intent, reshaping the roster and setting a new tone for the franchise’s future. For all intents and purposes, Spytek turned the 2025 season into a hard but valuable education. Managing the fallout from Maxx Crosby’s trade request was difficult enough. Then the blockbuster deal that would have sent Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks, including the No. 14 overall selection in 2026, fell apart when the Ravens backed out.
Never a dull offseason with the Raiders…
That left Spytek with a new challenge. Instead of moving forward with extra draft capital and a Crosby-less defense, he now has to navigate the aftermath of a failed trade while continuing to reshape the roster. The Raiders still hold the No. 1 pick, and Spytek has remained aggressive in free agency, but the Crosby situation remains one of the biggest tests of his early tenure.
Swapping sixth-round picks with the Buffalo Bills to acquire Taron Johnson and a seventh-round selection was an underrated, low-cost move to strengthen a weak secondary. Johnson had been on track to be released before Buffalo traded him to Las Vegas. For the Raiders, it meant adding a veteran who could compete for a starting role at nickel corner at a reasonable cost of $8.6 million in 2026 and $10 million in 2027.
The Raiders also made a smart decision by retaining cornerback Eric Stokes before free agency opened. In his first season with Las Vegas, Stokes did not allow a touchdown in 2025. Spytek re-signed him to a team-friendly three-year, $30 million deal that included $20 million guaranteed.
That kind of move is significant. In the NFL, effectively managing a roster involves acquiring, developing, and retaining talent. While keeping productive players can be costly, investing in your own sends a positive message to the locker room.
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The spending spree continues…
Last year, Spytek was conservative in free agency and in adding players to address holes across the roster. Personnel disagreements helped create a range of problems with Pete Carroll before his abrupt departure. The shift to a 3-4 defense also required a different type of defensive personnel. Add in the need to improve the offensive line, increase the number of weapons on offense, and build depth throughout the roster, and the pressure to spend became significant.
Once the legal tampering period began, Spytek and the Raiders moved quickly by signing Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81 million deal. Thanks to a creative contract structure, Linderbaum will count just $16.66 million against the 2026 salary cap. He was widely viewed as the best center available in free agency, making the move a major win for Las Vegas. He gives the Raiders a high-level answer in the middle of the offensive line and immediate help in the run game.
The Raiders also added wide receiver Jalen Nailor from the Minnesota Vikings. Nailor profiles as the kind of reliable target quarterbacks value. He has strong hands, runs crisp routes, and plays faster than his 4.5-second 40-yard dash time suggests. On a three-year, $35 million deal with $18 million guaranteed at signing, Nailor has a chance to become the wide receiver Raider Nation did not know it needed.
The Raiders finally have real linebackers!
To effectively run a 3-4 defense, a team needs at least four linebackers, each with distinct skill sets tailored to specific roles. For too long, the Raiders did not allocate significant resources to the linebacker position. However, that changed swiftly. On the first day of the legal tampering period, Las Vegas signed three former first-round picks to strengthen this group.
Kwity Paye signed a three-year, $48 million deal with $25.7 million guaranteed at signing. Nakobe Dean agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract with $20 million guaranteed. Quay Walker landed a three-year, $40.5 million deal that included $28 million guaranteed. The Raiders also brought back Malcolm Koonce on a one-year, $11 million contract.
Dean and Walker bring familiarity as well as pedigree. The two were teammates for three seasons at Georgia, where they won a national championship together. Both have also played in the postseason at the NFL level. Dean has reached the Super Bowl twice and won it once.
Paye is coming off a down year, which makes the investment notable given his recent production. Still, he offers value as a stand-up linebacker because of his ability to set the edge and rush the passer when used aggressively. Koonce, meanwhile, is now two years removed from a torn ACL and, by all accounts, should be back to full strength. A move to outside linebacker would mirror his college role at Buffalo, where he was at his best playing from a stand-up position.
Spytek has been quite active…
The Raiders also signed kicker Matt Gay late Monday, likely positioning him as a replacement for Daniel Carlson. Carlson’s leg strength appeared to decline, and his accuracy from inside 50 yards also slipped.
Even after Monday’s wave of signings, Las Vegas entered Tuesday morning with more than $71 million in salary cap space. Spytek also completed a trade with the New York Jets, acquiring quarterback Geno Smith and the No. 228 overall pick in exchange for the No. 208 selection in the sixth round.
It’s safe to say that the Raiders’ general manager has shed the moniker of being “cheap” after last offseason’s quiet approach. The Silver and Black are back—well, at least on paper.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images