Raiders Free Agency Blueprint + The Latest on Maxx Crosby

RAIDERS FREE AGENCY PREVIEW

Free agency is almost here, and the Raiders are sitting on more than $90 million in projected cap space, one of the biggest war chests in the league. In our latest episode of the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, I go position-by-position through the free agent class to identify the smartest targets and best fits as the Raiders build toward the future. Then Vinny Bonsignore joins the show to share what he learned at the Combine and what it could reveal about how the team plans to approach both free agency and the draft. If you want a clear roadmap for how the Raiders could attack the biggest week of the offseason, this one’s worth the watch.

TL;DR: MY FAVORITE FREE AGENCY FITS FOR THE RAIDERS

Don’t have 80 minutes to listen to the full free agency deep dive? No problem — here’s the quick version. If any of these names pique your interest, check out the full podcast above, where we go much deeper on each player and how the Raiders could approach the market.

Center: If Baltimore somehow lets Tyler Linderbaum hit the market, you run the card in. He’s only 25, already a three-time Pro Bowler, and would instantly anchor the offensive line for years to come. More realistically, Connor McGovern or Tyler Biadasz make a lot of sense. McGovern brings durability and versatility, while Biadasz would give the Raiders a steady, above-average presence in the middle at a reasonable price. Lloyd Cushenberry is also a name to watch, given his familiarity with Klint Kubiak and Mike McCoy.

Guard: Isaac Seumalo feels like a perfect scheme fit. He’s been excellent in zone concepts and graded extremely well in play-action protection — two things that matter a lot in Kubiak’s offense. Alijah Vera-Tucker is another intriguing option if the Raiders are comfortable with the injury history.

Running Back: The Raiders will almost certainly add a No. 2 behind Ashton Jeanty. J.K. Dobbins would be a dynamic complement if healthy, Rachaad White has ties to GM John Spytek from Tampa and would be my pick as a versatile fit, and Raheem Mostert remains an easy plug-and-play option given his experience in the Shanahan system.

Wide Receiver: I don’t expect the Raiders to break the bank here. Alec Pierce is a dangerous deep threat, but he could be too expensive. Romeo Doubs is the type of “intelligently aggressive” move that makes sense — productive, reliable, and potentially available at a reasonable number. If Jauan Jennings does indeed leave San Fran, his familiarity with the Shanahan scheme family would make him a natural fit, too.

Edge Rusher: Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, and Odafe Oweh would all command big money, but the name I keep circling is Boye Mafe. The sack totals don’t jump off the page, but the pressure numbers and pass-rush win rate do. He’s consistently disruptive and could likely be signed for far less than the top-tier edge rushers.

Linebacker: Devin Lloyd would be the dream addition if the Raiders want a true three-down linebacker. Nakobe Dean is another name to watch — especially with new linebackers coach Ronell Williams coming over from Philly — while Logan Wilson offers durability and strong run defense.

Cornerback: If the Raiders want to swing big, Riq Woolen is the type of player worth paying. Jamel Dean brings consistency and ties to Spytek from Tampa, while Alontae Taylor has connections to the coaching staff and has quietly been a very disruptive player since entering the league.

Safety: The draft is deep at this position, but Bryan Cook stands out as a potential free agency target. He’s young, versatile, and thrives in aggressive defenses that send pressure, which fits what Rob Leonard may want to build.

Bottom line: The Raiders have the cap space to make moves, but this feels like an offseason where spreading the money around and adding multiple young impact players might be the smartest path forward to correct some of their draft woes from staffs of the past.

MAXX LIKELY GONE?

I held out for a long time. I kept saying I wouldn’t believe the Maxx Crosby trade talk until I actually saw it happen. But you know what? I’ve started to waffle on that stance. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m beginning to think Maxx really might want out — and that the Raiders may ultimately move him.

The big question now is when. Nobody knows that for sure, but if the Raiders are going to pull the trigger, it would make sense to do it sooner rather than later. With free agency about to open, there are a handful of impact edge rushers on the market they could pivot to as part of the plan to replace Crosby, even though replacing a player like Maxx is easier said than done.

As for potential destinations, Trey Wingo recently said Crosby was close to becoming a Cowboy at one point, and the last odds I saw had the Bears as the favorites to land him.

Wherever he ends up, the Raiders have to, and likely will, hold firm on the compensation they’re looking for. Two first-round picks feels like a realistic starting point. Matching the kind of haul Dallas reportedly got for Micah Parsons — two firsts plus a three-time Pro Bowler in Kenny Clark — might be a stretch, but that’s the type of return the Raiders should be aiming for.

Even if they get that kind of package, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to replace Crosby’s impact on the field. But it would at least be a start.

REQUIRED READING

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of The Athletic. Their staff consistently turns out great work, and Jourdan Rodrigue is someone we’ve featured here before. This week, we’re highlighting a really interesting piece she put together on how NFL scouts craft their scouting reports. Scouts are the lifeblood of the league, and this article offers a fascinating peek behind the curtain at how they evaluate players and present their findings to decision-makers around the NFL. Definitely worth the read.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

RAIDERS DRAFT: DAY 2 & 3 TARGETS TO KNOW

The Combine is in the books, which means it’s time to start figuring out which prospects actually make sense for the Raiders on draft weekend. Earlier this week on the Silver & Black Sports Network Podcast, I sat down with Bleacher Report scout Matt Holder to sort through the noise and identify some Day 2 and Day 3 targets Raider Nation should know. We go position-by-position, highlighting offensive and defensive linemen who helped themselves in Indy, linebackers who could fit the Raiders’ new defense, and the type of receiver that could thrive in Klint Kubiak’s offense. If you’re starting to build your own draft board for the Silver & Black, this one will get you pointed in the right direction.

GENO GETTING SACKED?

That headline might be a bit of a low blow, the guy took plenty of sacks last season, but you’ve got to grab attention somehow.

A lot of people have been asking what the deal is with Geno Smith. Are the Raiders really going to move on from him? And if so, why hasn’t it happened yet?

Once the team parted ways with Pete Carroll, it felt like the writing was on the wall that Geno could follow him out the door. It just hasn’t happened yet because, frankly, the Raiders have some investment in him. They sent a third-round pick to acquire him and gave him a two-year, $75 million extension last April, so they’d obviously prefer to recoup something rather than release him outright.

Geno is a better quarterback than what he showed last season in Vegas, and teams around the league likely know that. The Vikings and Jets are two easy teams to connect him to, so the Raiders are probably hoping someone bites and sends back at least a sixth- or seventh-round pick while also taking on the rest of his contract.

The problem? That kind of deal isn’t all that likely. If no trade partner emerges, the Raiders will probably end up releasing him and eating about $18.5 million in dead cap. The silver lining is they’d still clear roughly $8 million in cap space, which isn’t terrible when you’re talking about quarterback money — and it would give them a little more ammo heading into free agency.

If a trade doesn’t materialize, they’ll need to make a decision by the third day of the new league year. That’s when Geno’s $18.5 million base salary and an additional $8 million injury guarantee would fully lock in. In other words, one way or another, this situation should be resolved by next Friday at the latest.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day.

This week, we’re featuring a shot Arnie snagged of Eric Stokes. He took a one-year “prove it” deal with the Raiders and notched a career-high 73.6 overall PFF grade. Not only that, he also allowed just a 77.2 passer rating when targeted and posted a 12.0% forced incompletion rate. That should get him a nice payday next week, the question is, will it be with the Raiders?

Check out Arnie’s work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Free agency is here — and next week is going to be a wild one. The action kicks off Monday, so make sure you’re locked in with us on the YouTube channel.

Instead of our usual 9 a.m. PT uploads, we’ll be going LIVE on Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. PT to break down everything the Raiders do during the opening wave of free agency. Mark your calendars and come hang out. The live shows are always a blast because we get to interact with you guys in real time — and there’s no better week to do that than during one of the most chaotic stretches of the NFL calendar.

For now, the plan is to go live Tuesday and Thursday, but if the Raiders take a big swing right out of the gate on Monday, don’t be surprised if we fire up an impromptu show as well.

Catch ya next time,