The upcoming offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders should be quite important. Even though their 2023 campaign didn’t go as planned and led to Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels’ dismissals, it provided some momentum in the latter stages.
After a 5-4 final stretch, Las Vegas was able to secure the full-time position for interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
The Raiders now have to capitalise on their recent success and demonstrate that Pierce was a wise addition. They have positions to fill, and on March 13, when free agency opens, they will begin doing so.
Following the NFL’s recent announcement that the salary cap would reach a record $255.4 million, the Raiders are expected to have $55.5 million in cap space.
Even though Las Vegas will undoubtedly try to address a few weaknesses in the roster come April, it should have little issue adding players in free agency to strengthen its depth chart initially. We’ll look at three positions that the Raiders ought to try to bolster with experienced players.
With Jimmy Garoppolo no longer seen as the team’s stopgap (he’ll be released in March, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Raiders have an easy path to selecting their quarterback of the future.
Although Aidan O’Connell had a strong rookie season (83.9 passer rating), he wasn’t good enough to enter training camp as the clear favourite. Las Vegas needs to make the quarterback room more competitive, at the very least.
It would be wise to sign one of the top 2024 quarterback prospects, such as Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy or LSU’s Jayden Daniels. But it might be tough for the Raiders to even move up from No. 13 overall to acquire a top quarterback.
Although there is no assurance that a top quarterback will be selected in the draft, Las Vegas needs to add veteran insurance first. Thankfully, there are plenty of qualified candidates in the free-agent pool.
Among the competent quarterbacks who may push O’Connell in camp or start if necessary are Tyrod Taylor, Joshua Dobbs, Gardner Minshew, and Jacoby Brissett. In addition, if Baker Mayfield is not signed by the Tampa Bay Bucs, Las Vegas may view him as a long-term alternative.
