2024 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 10th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s general manager ranks featured some key shakeups this offseason. One of the longest-tenured pure GMs in the game, Tom Telesco, lost his Chargers seat 11 years in. The Raiders, however, gave Telesco a second chance. He now controls the Las Vegas roster. Only Telesco and the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke reside as second-chance GMs currently.

Two long-serving personnel bosses also exited this offseason. The Patriots’ decision to move on from 24-year HC Bill Belichick gave Jerod Mayo a head coaching opportunity but also resulted in Eliot Wolf belatedly rising to the top of the team’s front office hierarchy. A former Packers and Browns exec, Wolf held decision-making power through the draft and kept it on an official basis soon after. While John Schneider arrived in Seattle with Pete Carroll in 2010, the latter held final say. Following Carroll’s ouster after 14 seasons, Schneider has full control.

The Commanders changed GMs this offseason, hiring ex-San Francisco staffer Adam Peters, but Martin Mayhew received merely a demotion. The three-year Washington GM, who worked alongside Peters with the 49ers, is now in place as a senior personnel exec advising Peters. Rather than look outside the organization, Panthers owner David Tepper replaced Scott Fitterer with Dan Morgan, who had previously worked as the team’s assistant GM.

Going into his 23rd season running the Saints, Mickey Loomis remains the NFL’s longest-serving pure GM. This will mark the veteran exec’s third season without Sean Payton. An eight-year gap now exists between Loomis and the NFL’s second-longest-tenured pure GM.

As the offseason winds down, here is how the league’s 32 GM jobs look:

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989^[1]
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991^[2]
Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010^[3]; signed extension in 2022
Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016^[4]
John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020: signed extension in 2024
Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021: agreed to extension in 2024
Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023
Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
Tom Telesco (Las Vegas Raiders): January 23, 2024
Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024

Footnotes:

Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Justin Jefferson Viewed Contract Situation Impacting Kirk Cousins’ Free Agency

July 10th, 2024 at 10:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kirk Cousins has said he viewed the Vikings as using a year-by-year approach at quarterback during the latter part of his Minnesota run. The Vikings passed on extending Cousins in 2023 and then did not come especially close to the Falcons’ offer in March.

A move to Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy come Week 1 will mark a change for Minnesota, which has used Cousins as its starting quarterback to open each of the past six seasons. Cousins had said on many occasions he wanted to stay with the Vikings, but those comments died down this offseason. Falcons rumors emerged in early March and did not slow down, leading to the 13th-year QB’s four-year, $180MM deal — one that features a $100MM practical guarantee.

The Vikings soon gave Darnold a one-year, $10MM deal and focused on a landmark Justin Jefferson extension. Given the money Cousins commanded from the Falcons, the Vikes — after already handing T.J. Hockenson a market-setting extension — would have experienced a difficult time extending Jefferson after re-signing their six-year passer. Jefferson knew this would factor into the Cousins conversation.

“I always knew that Kirk was going to do whatever he needs to do for his businesses-wise,” Jefferson said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link), “and I just knew that everything just wasn’t the way he wanted it to be here, especially just with having to pay me and having to pay so many other different guys.

“I feel like he just wanted a new start, a new opportunity to start with Atlanta and a clean slate, and I’m not mad at him at all for that. I’m grateful for what he has brought to me and the things that we have accomplished together.”

Via his practical guarantee, Cousins is on track to move his career earnings past $330MM. The former Washington fourth-rounder is certainly one of the shrewdest NFLers of his era and probably any era. Cousins maximized his value six years ago, maneuvering out of Washington after two franchise tags en route to a fully guaranteed $84MM Vikings contract. That three-year deal gave Cousins the upper hand in his ensuing negotiations with the team, leading to player-friendly extensions in 2020 and 2022. Guarantees held up the parties in 2023, and the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-led front office let the veteran starter walk this year.

Jefferson signed a monster extension in June, committing to the Vikings on a four-year, $140MM deal that includes a whopping $110MM guaranteed. Both Jefferson’s guarantee and guarantee at signing ($88.7MM) shattered wide receiver records. Although the Vikings paid Jefferson despite a $28.5MM Cousins dead money hit due to void years, rivaling the Falcons’ offer and paying Jefferson would have been difficult. Jefferson’s $35MM-per-year extension will overlap with McCarthy’s rookie contract.

“At the end of the day, it’s a business and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do for yourself and for your family, and I clearly understand that. But it’s on to the next,” Jefferson said. “It doesn’t really matter what quarterback it is in my eyes. I’m always going to try to make the best of the opportunity. I’m always going to try to be the quarterback’s friend and make his job a lot easier. It doesn’t matter if it was Kirk or if it’s Sam or if it’s J.J. I’m going to make it as easy as possible for him.”

Darnold will work with the starters to begin training camp, but the seventh-year veteran will eventually face a challenge from the No. 10 overall draftee. Cousins, 36 in August, now teams with two former top-10 skill-position draftees on rookie deals (Drake London, Kyle Pitts), and the Falcons brought in Darnell Mooney on a midlevel pact (three years, $39MM). Though, it is certainly possible that the Falcons pivot to first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. by the time those two are on veteran deals — if those extensions come to fruition in Atlanta.

Latest On Browns’ WR Corps

July 10th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will be throwing to a lot of the same targets in 2024 that he did last year, but the single addition of a player like Jerry Jeudy largely changes the outlook of that group. The acquisition of Jeudy solidifies Cleveland’s starting group, but some questions still remain further down the depth chart.

Amari Cooper did Amari Cooper things last year, and though he only reached the endzone five times, he put up a career high in receiving yards with 1,250. Former Jets second-round pick Elijah Moore benefitted from a change of scenery last year. Like Cooper, Moore put up a career-high 640 yards, though he only scored twice. Then, the room adds Jeudy, who has mostly failed to live up to his first-round draft stock over his four-year stint in Denver. His best year saw him catch 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns, and if he can reach those peaks again, the top line of the receiving corps is in good shape.

Behind the likely starters, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, and James Proche return from last year. All three players were given opportunities to start following the trade of Donovan Peoples-Jones, but it was the rookie, Tillman, who showed the most growth and promise near the end of the year. According to Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, those efforts and a strong spring in the absence of Cooper and Jeudy have likely secured Tillman in the WR4 position.

Bell and Proche, on the other hand, will likely join Michael Woods and rookie fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash, among a number of other names, for the remaining roster spots. Bell is likely safe. Though his yardage and target shares decreased last year from his rookie season, Bell finished second in the room last year with three touchdowns. Proche didn’t have any catches in 10 games with the team last year but became the team’s primary punt returner after the departure of Peoples-Jones. Proche’s special teams prowess helps his case, but he may need to show more on offense to earn a roster spot this year.

Thrash is perhaps the next most likely to keep a job as a recent draft pick. After a stellar 2022 campaign with Georgia State that saw him catch 61 balls for 1,122 yards and seven scores, Thrash transferred to Louisville and led the team by far in receptions (63), receiving yards (858), and receiving touchdowns (6). Woods, a sixth-round pick from 2022, faces longer odds after missing all of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and receiving a six-game suspension for personal conduct. Behind them, players like Jaelon Darden, Jalen Camp, Matt Landers, and Ahmarean Brown make up the rest of the room competing for roster spots.

With Cooper, Jeudy, and Moore locked in as starters and Tillman seemingly the favorite as the first off the bench, there’s a remaining one to three spots on the roster, depending on the team’s preferences. A combination of Bell, Proche, and Thrash feels like the most likely outcome, but strong training camp performances from any of the others, or poor camps from any of those three, have the potential to shake things up a bit in Cleveland.

Latest On Titans’ RBs Room

July 10th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Ely Allen

The King has left the building in Tennessee, and now, for the first time since Derrick Henry was drafted in 2016, the Titans will need to form a running backs group that doesn’t include the big man from Yulee. One of the benefits of rostering Henry was that the need for depth was never that pressing as he led the league in carries in four of the last five years, only failing to do so in 2021 due to injury. In 2024, Tennessee will need to take a bit of a closer look at their depth chart.

The top of the room is clear: last year’s third-round pick Tyjae Spears will be joined by free agent signing Tony Pollard as a 1A-1B duo in the backfield. In his rookie season, Spears spelled Henry with 100 carries for 453 rushing yards and two touchdowns, adding 52 catches, 385 yards, and another score through the air. This was the biggest performance by an RB2 in Nashville since Dion Lewis joined Henry in 2018 as the two took over for DeMarco Murray.

Pollard joins the Titans after five years in Dallas, four of which saw him tied to the hip of Ezekiel Elliott. After leading the team with career highs of 1,007 yards to go along with nine rushing touchdowns and 371 receiving yards with three more scores, Pollard was finally given the opportunity to lead the running backs group in Dallas last year. While he nearly matched his prior year numbers with 1,005 rushing yards, six touchdowns, and 311 receiving yards, it was accomplished in a much less efficient manner as Pollard recorded career lows in yards per carry and yards per reception.

After appearing to struggle in the lead role last year, Pollard returns to a comfortable pairing, this time with Spears. It will be interesting to see how the two are utilized exactly, but Tennessee has two strong options as it prepares to form a rushing attack without Henry for the first time in eight years. Another interesting aspect of training camp will be how the team addresses the depth behind Spears and Pollard.

Right now, two third-year backs, Hassan Haskins and Julius Chestnut, are battling for the RB3 role. Haskins has 25 carries for 93 yards to his name in the NFL, while Chestnut has nine for 12. Through the air, Haskins has more receptions (10) and yards (57) than Chestnut (3-41), but Chestnut appears to be more dynamic receiving out of the backfield. Neither back recorded an offensive stat last year as Haskins dealt with legal and health issues and Chestnut played only on special team.

Haskins and Chestnut are joined in the offseason competition by two undrafted free agents in Dillon Johnson and Jabari Small. Both Johnson and Small bring strong college resumes with them, but a lack of experience will likely hold them out of the roster battle for now.

Both Haskins and Pollard are strong special teams contributors, and that may be what decides the RB3 job. If both players have a strong enough camp, there’s a chance the team holds on to four rushers on the 53-man roster, but likely they are competing for one spot behind Spears and Pollard.

AFC South Rumors: Green, Hines-Allen, Radunz

July 10th, 2024 at 7:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans were forced to scramble last year when second-year starting guard Kenyon Green underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in the preseason. The team opted to trade for the similarly-named Kendrick Green (no relation) to start in his place but were thrown for a loop shortly into the season.

After sitting out the team’s season opener as he was still acquainting himself with the offense, Green started the next three games at left guard for Houston. Unfortunately, near the end of the game against his former team, the Steelers, Green suffered an injury that, while not tearing any ligaments, still required meniscus surgery that would hold him out for the remainder of the year.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Green has now made a full recovery and will make his return during training camp. Kenyon Green was also recently reported to be back to full strength, so now, both healthy Greens will compete for the starting left guard job.

Here are a couple of other notes coming out of the AFC South:

To the relief of many sports writers, a certain Jaguars outside linebacker will no longer sport the exact same name as a player he may potentially be sacking. From now on, Josh Allen will potentially be getting sacked by Josh Hines-Allen. Hines-Allen posted the news on his X account, saying, “Legacy is forever, and I’m proud to carry that tradition on the back of my jersey, following in the footsteps of my family, who have donned the Hines-Allen last name with so much pride and joy.”
In a look at the Titans‘ right guard and right tackle position battles almost three weeks ago, we noted that a healthy Nicholas Petit-Frere had the potential to win the starting right tackle job, which could push last year’s starter at the position, Dillon Radunz, back inside to guard. According to a training camp preview from Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt, we are apparently seeing this come to fruition. Wyatt claims that the team has “locked in” Radunz at guard, where he’ll now compete with Daniel Brunskill and Saahdiq Charles for the starting role.

Joe Schoen, Saquon Barkley Discussed Giants Matching FA Offer

July 10th, 2024 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Antonio Brown-Raiders saga from 2019 brought some notable content, Hard Knocks‘ traditional training camp format rarely crosses into PFR’s purview. HBO’s offseason effort surrounding the Giants certainly has, and after three years of Saquon Barkley rumors, the divorce is being chronicled.

Reports detailing the split between the Giants and their biggest star of the post-Eli Manning period pointed to the Giants never actually making an offer this year. The Giants memorably made multiple offers in 2023, following an initial proposal during their 2022 bye week, only to see the franchise-tagged running back not agree to terms. GM Joe Schoen took a more passive approach this offseason.

After meeting with staffers to assess the potential RB market, Schoen made it clear to John Mara the team would not apply the tag — which would have checked in at $12MM — for a second time. The third-year Giants GM then contacted Barkley to communicate the team’s plan of letting him test free agency. This otherwise cordial conversation featured a point in which Schoen directly asked the two-time Pro Bowler to provide his word he would give the Giants a chance to match the best offer he received.

“Can you give me your word on that, or you not going to give us a chance?” Schoen said to Barkley in a phone conversation, with the seventh-year veteran replaying, “I already told you where I want to be.”

An offseason report indicated the Giants would likely wait for Barkley to come back to them with an offer to match. Barkley, 27, had said on several occasions he wanted to finish his career with the Giants. Big Blue resisted trade interest in the tagged RB at last year’s deadline. Doing so seemingly would have pointed to the Giants displaying genuine interest in retaining him for 2024. This Hard Knocks offering suggests otherwise, and Schoen’s discussions with his staff did not seem to indicate the Giants’ front office boss expected Barkley to fetch the contract he did from the Eagles.

Philly gave Barkley a three-year, $37.75MM deal that included $26MM fully guaranteed. The Giants’ final offer to Barkley at the July 2023 tag deadline featured a guarantee of around $22MM, with the sides being less than $2MM apart in terms of AAV. It is unclear if that was the full guarantee. Despite coming off another season that featured a notable injury (a high ankle sprain), Barkley pocketed the money from the $10.1MM tag and will collect an additional $26MM from the Eagles. Even after 2023 painted a bleak picture for RBs, the former Offensive Rookie of the Year came out way ahead of where he would have been financially had he accepted the Giants’ 2023 extension offer. ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan confirms the Giants never offered Barkley terms on the level of the Eagles’ proposal.

Schoen made multiple references this offseason to RB production falling off around age 27; the Eagles will bet on their superior offensive line and weaponry keeping Barkley in prime form. The Giants signed a soon-to-be 27-year-old replacement, giving Devin Singletary a three-year, $16.5MM deal with $9.5MM guaranteed at signing. Though, to be fair, the ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge has logged 426 fewer NFL touches.

As the Eagles bet big on Barkley, the Giants will hope their midlevel solution — a player who has proven more durable by comparison, having missed only one game during the 2020s — can offer reasonable production.

Bills To Shift Connor McGovern To C

July 10th, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Sam Robinson

While the Jets have not re-signed four-year starter Connor McGovern, the AFC East will not be without a Connor McGovern at center this season. A Bills change will ensure this.

After Buffalo signed the younger of the NFL’s Connor McGoverns last year, they slotted the ex-Cowboys draftee at left guard. Rather than moving the re-signed David Edwards to center to fill Mitch Morse‘s old post, the Bills are signing off on a more natural transition. McGovern confirmed he will be the one replacing Morse this season.

“I would say center is my natural position,” McGovern said, via the Buffalo News’ Mark Gaughan. “So it’s just going back home. I missed it a lot. I was drafted as a center originally. Then a new coaching staff came in and I got moved to guard. I always kind of sought my way back to center. Every time something happened, I’d play a little bit (at center) and I’d get moved back to guard. Now officially I can move back to center, so I’m very happy.”

The Jets’ Joe Tippmann plan will deny the world a division of two Connor McGoverns at center, but the Bills will give a player with 100 career snaps at center that role in 2024. Morse started at center in Buffalo for five seasons, but a cost-cutting spree led him off the roster. The Jaguars signed Morse soon after. While McGovern has a center past, he played 12 snaps there in 2021 and 88 at the pivot in 2022. Otherwise, his center work came in Cowboys practices or prior to the NFL.

Saquon Barkley‘s final Penn State season featured 13 McGovern starts at center. The Nittany Lions moved McGovern to guard in 2018, however, and the Cowboys slotted him there for the most part. Last season, all 1,135 McGovern snaps came at left guard. This will be a transition for the Bills’ second-highest-paid O-lineman, though his 2017 role points to an easier transition. McGovern, 26, is tied to a three-year, $22.35MM deal.

Edwards, who re-signed on a two-year deal worth $6MM, appears poised to take over at left guard. The former Rams starter has never played an NFL snap at center and primarily played right tackle at Wisconsin. His background makes a McGovern move more logical for the four-time reigning AFC East champs. Dion Dawkins, Spencer Brown and O’Cyrus Torrence are primed to reprise their 2023 roles up front, with Edwards — a 45-game Rams starter from 2019-22 — likely to re-emerge as a starter after a concussion-marred 2022 season and a 2023 campaign spent as a Bills backup.

Giants Looked Into DL Christian Wilkins

July 10th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Sam Robinson

While a number of teams undoubtedly gave consideration to pursuing Christian Wilkins in free agency, the Giants having their inner workings subject to the masses in HBO’s maiden Hard Knocks offseason voyage illuminates their interest in bolstering the pass rush.

New York’s effort ended up producing Brian Burns via trade, but the team considered a Wilkins run. Third-year GM Joe Schoen‘s close ties to ex-Panthers and Bills coworker Dan Morgan, now Carolina’s GM, played a key role in the teams completing the Burns trade. Had the Panthers gone with an outside hire at GM rather than a longtime Schoen friend, a Giants pursuit of Wilkins may have been necessary.

Schoen and assistant GM Brandon Brown discussed Wilkins at the Combine, with the former loosely applying a $22MM-per-year price tag on the five-year Dolphins defender. Brown gave a positive review of Wilkins to Schoen, though the Giants joined the Dolphins in having questions about the 2019 first-rounder’s pass-rushing impact.

After Giants pro scouting director Chris Rossetti referred to Wilkins as Dexter Lawrence‘s best friend, Schoen confirmed the All-Pro Giants D-tackle asked him if the front office was considering a run at the former Clemson standout. Rossetti referred to Wilkins as a “really good football player who will do well for himself” but called the eventual Raider a non-difference-making presence on third down.

The Dolphins stopped short of an extension offer in the Lawrence-Quinnen Williams–Jeffery Simmons range ($22-$24MM per year) due to Wilkins’ limited pass-rushing impact through four seasons. Last year, however, the 28-year-old defender launched a well-timed breakthrough by totaling nine sacks and 23 QB hits. He had previously never surpassed 4.5 sacks or 13 QB hits in a season. Teams certainly took notice, with the Dolphins’ cap situation making a franchise tag untenable. Though, Miami made a last-ditch attempt to keep Wilkins off the market.

Indicating a third-down presence alongside Lawrence was an offseason goal, Rossetti provided a sign the Giants would pass on a true Wilkins pursuit. Though, it is notable Schoen and Brown were still discussing the five-year starter at the Combine. Schoen’s early prediction on Wilkins’ AAV turned out to undersell where his market went, with the Raiders needing to give the top-flight run defender/emerging pass rusher a $27.5MM-per-year accord. Wilkins committed to the Raiders hours before the Giants traded for Burns.

Chris Jones, whom Rossetti understandably held in higher regard, did not reach free agency. The likely Hall of Famer re-signed with the Chiefs — on a market-resetting contract that included a $95MM practical guarantee — two days before the legal tampering period. With Jones out of the mix, Wilkins’ price assuredly rose due to becoming the top FA DT available.

PFR’s No. 4 overall free agent, Wilkins scored an $82.75MM guarantee from the Raiders. Wilkins’ guarantee at signing ($57.5MM) came in just south of Jones’ $60MM number. Both DTs smashed the previous guarantee highs at the position, capitalizing on the offseason cap spike and the Chiefs and Dolphins not unholstering the franchise tag.

The Texans and Vikings were also linked to Wilkins; Houston held more cap room than New York, and Minnesota employed ex-Miami HC Brian Flores as its DC. Had the Falcons not signed Kirk Cousins, they would have pursued Wilkins as well.

Schoen floated out a Burns AAV between $28-$29MM at the Combine; that proved to be telling, as the Giants ended up giving the franchise-tagged Panther a $28.2MM-per-year extension. As for Big Blue’s DT post alongside Wilkins, lower-cost cogs — as the big money went to Burns — will be asked to contribute. While the Giants have a formidable trio (Lawrence, Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux) anchoring their pass rush, the likes of Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Jordan Phillips, D.J. Davidson and Ryder Anderson will vie for time next to Lawrence on the D-line.

Adrian Wilson Arrested On Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Charges

July 10th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 10: A police report indicates Wilson, upon seeing separation papers from his wife, broke a TV, a mirror and other items after barging into his wife’s bedroom at their Arizona casita, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss adds. Wilson’s wife had hired a private investigator and learned he was having an affair, prompting the separation documents.

Wilson is also accused of choking the woman, taking a gun from a safe and threatening to kill himself, according to Weinfuss. The former Cardinals executive is not believed to have pointed the gun at anyone, driving away soon after. Arrested at 6:33am, Wilson posted bail later on June 1.

JULY 9: The Panthers announced Sunday that their Adrian Wilson partnership ended after barely a year. More information has come to light as to why the NFC South team severed ties with the veteran front office staffer.

Wilson was arrested on three domestic violence charges at 6am ET on June 1, The Athletic’s Joe Person and Doug Haller report. Police arrested Wilson at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home on charges of assault, criminal damage and disorderly conduct. All three charges are misdemeanors (subscription required). He is next due in court July 16.

A GM candidate who finished his Cardinals tenure as interim GM following Steve Keim‘s leave of absence late in 2022, Wilson served as VP of player personnel with the Panthers. Although Carolina changed GMs this offseason, Wilson’s exit appears to stem from this arrest rather than that offseason move.

When asked if the team knew about Wilson’s arrest, a Panthers spokesperson (via Person) pointed to their original statement on the matter. It would seem likely the arrest resulted in Wilson’s Carolina exit. The club had hired the former Cardinals safety-turned-exec in February 2023. Wilson, 44, is a High Point, N.C., native.

The Cardinals employed Wilson for eight years, and the longtime starting DB climbed the ranks to serve as Arizona’s VP of pro scouting by 2021. Wilson joined Quentin Harris as co-interim GMs to finish out the 2022 season and interviewed for Arizona’s GM job, but Monti Ossenfort landed the gig last year. The Jaguars were connected to Wilson for a high-ranking front office job in 2022, but that arrangement did not come to fruition. He also interviewed for the Giants’ GM job in 2022.

Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders

July 9th, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mark Davis expressed regret for not elevating Rich Bisaccia to the full-time head coach position in 2022. The owner, who remains tied to Jon Gruden‘s 10-year contract, signed off on paying three HCs last fall by firing Josh McDaniels. Antonio Pierce‘s better-than-expected showing as interim HC prompted Davis to take an unexplored route. The Raiders became the first team in seven years to bump an interim leader to the full-time post, and Pierce becomes one of the least experienced HCs in modern NFL history.

The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker’s promotion defined the Raiders’ offseason, one that also featured the Tom Telesco GM hire and a splashy Christian Wilkins signing. How the Raiders proceeded at quarterback came a close second in terms of offseason storylines. Between choosing Pierce and not taking a big swing for a QB, the Raiders took the road less traveled this offseason.

Coaching/front office:

Promoted interim HC Antonio Pierce to full-time position
Hired Tom Telesco as GM, retained Champ Kelly as assistant GM
Added Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator; Kliff Kingsbury backtracked on OC agreement
Brought in Marvin Lewis as assistant HC, Mike Caldwell as LBs coach
Added Joe Philbin as senior offensive assistant, Rich Scangarello as QBs coach
RBs coach hire DeShaun Foster accepted UCLA HC gig
Chargers interim GM JoJo Wooden follows Telesco to Las Vegas

Player support for Pierce reached the point Maxx Crosby threatened a trade request had Davis not broken with recent NFL tradition and elevated his interim HC. Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams also stumped for Pierce, who received interview requests from the Falcons and Titans. The Raiders made an early decision to pass on a true coaching searching, only interviewing two other candidates (Leslie Frazier and Kris Richard). The search process that ended with Pierce reminded of the plan that produced Gruden, with the team only clearing the Rooney Rule bar before choosing a coach. Pierce being Black, of course, separates this Raiders search from a typical Rooney Rule issue. But this still represents one of the most daring HC hires in decades.

Of the 160 men hired to be head coaches this century, only eight have moved up without previous NFL HC experience, at least one season as a coordinator (or time as a de facto coordinator, in the cases of coaching candidates under the title-phobic Bill Belichick) in the league or time as a college HC. Here is that list:

Antonio Pierce, Raiders (2024)
Jerod Mayo, Patriots (2024)
Jim Tomsula, 49ers (2015)
Mike Munchak, Titans (2011)
Raheem Morris, Buccaneers (2009)
Tom Cable, Raiders (2008)
Mike Singletary, 49ers (2008)
Lane Kiffin, Raiders (2007)

The Raiders had swerved off this route after Al Davis Cable’s interim tag, hiring veterans like Gruden, McDaniels and Jack Del Rio. Pierce went 5-4 as an interim HC, with the Raiders’ one-sided road win over the Chiefs beginning his charge in earnest for the full-time gig. Still, Pierce’s only full-time coaching positions are Raiders linebackers coach, Arizona State defensive coordinator, Sun Devils LBs coach and Long Beach Poly High HC.

Although Pierce’s nine NFL seasons took up time, he did not enter full-time coaching for nearly five years after his retirement. He also resigned from Arizona State during an NCAA recruiting investigation, but the leadership the ex-Washington and New York linebacker displayed — along with his knowledge of the Raiders’ culture — impressed players and ownership.

Al Davis pulled the trigger on the Kiffin and Cable moves, but Mark Davis is still trying to make a successful hire. The Raiders have two playoff berths since Super Bowl XXXVII, with the franchise tumbling off the contender radar quickly after that blowout. Last season did bring signs of improvement, but teams generally steer clear of promoting interims. Mark Davis passing on a true HC search to keep Pierce based largely on his players’ wishes could represent another of the owner’s shortcomings, but this will be a fascinating experiment.

A report of mutual interest between the Raiders and Jim Harbaugh, who began his coaching career as Bill Callahan‘s QBs coach in 2002, surfaced but did not precede much else of note tying the team to a big-ticket candidate. The Raiders did reach out to Harbaugh’s agent, however, before the Pierce hire. Pierce, 45, and Harbaugh will soon be matching up twice a year. The Raiders did not pursue Mike Vrabel, and Belichick connections proved fleeting. They will hope to keep the Pierce-centered momentum going. The Jaguars (Doug Marrone) were the most recent team to take this route; Marrone lasted four seasons in the full-time chair.

Interim GM Kelly sat in on Raiders HC interviews, but the Raiders were not committed to keeping Dave Ziegler‘s former assistant GM atop the front office. Davis instead chose to pair Pierce with one of the NFL’s most experienced GMs. Telesco spent 11 seasons running the Chargers, and although the team’s underachievement reputation grew to define it during this span, Davis was sufficiently impressed with the Bolts’ roster strength to look beyond their 3-for-11 playoff rate under Telesco. Not counting the Eagles having reinstalled Howie Roseman atop their FO pyramid, Telesco is only the second current GM to be given a second chance, joining Trent Baalke (Jaguars).

Telesco, 51, spent more than a decade working under Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian, being present for the Colts’ Super Bowl XLI win and their Super Bowl berth four years later. As Chargers GM, Telesco hammered out a Philip Rivers extension and later showed an ability to locate a franchise quarterback by drafting Justin Herbert sixth overall in 2020. The Chargers extended their Pro Bowl passer in Telesco’s final months on the job, but an inability to turn franchise QBs and offseason hype into Super Bowl pushes have plagued the Chargers for years.

Pierce’s team walloping the Chargers 63-21 on national TV led to Telesco and Brandon Staley‘s ousters. It is, then, rather interesting Telesco resurfaced alongside Pierce in Las Vegas. The Raiders gave Telesco roster control, which he also held in California. Telesco brought former Chargers exec-turned-interim GM Wooden with him, but he is working primarily with two staffers — Pierce and Kelly — he did not hire. With Kelly having interviewed for the Raiders’ GM job in 2022 and ’24, this forced partnership will be a notable AFC West storyline.

The Telesco-Pierce partnership hit an early snag when its top OC choice reneged on his commitment to join the Commanders. Kingsbury, who re-emerged as a coveted staffer after a year as USC’s QBs coach, was believed to have sought a three-year contract whereas the Raiders only offered a two-year deal. A report soon indicated new Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson helped sway Kingsbury. The Raiders then pivoted to Getsy, whom the Bears had fired weeks earlier.

Getsy, 40, has followed up a run as Aaron Rodgers‘ position coach to two gigs with below-average passers. The young coordinator certainly runs the risk of seeing his play-calling opportunities dry up early, but with many NFL OC gigs not coming with play-calling duties, Getsy has also managed to secure that role twice already.

The Bears ranked 23rd and 18th in scoring offense during Getsy’s two seasons in Illinois, numbers that appear out of line when considering Justin Fields‘ minimal trade value. Getsy took criticism for Fields’ struggles as a passer, but the ex-first-rounder showed some improvement in 2023. This came after Getsy utilized his starter’s prodigious run-game skills en route to Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing mark nearly falling in 2022.

While Getsy will work with a different genre of QB in Las Vegas, Graham is staying after the Raiders finally showed promise defensively. Graham’s first Raiders defense continued an extended run of futility in 2022, but the unit ranked ninth in scoring last season. This was the first time a Raider defense has ranked in the top half in scoring defense since 2002. Ending that unfathomable streak boosted Graham’s stock, and while he drew more HC interest, the Raiders blocked their defensive play-caller from interviewing for other DC positions.

Pierce’s former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, helped him prepare during his interim gig and assisted his former pupil in assembling his first Raiders staff. The staff includes Lewis, who returns to the NFL five years after his Bengals firing. Lewis, 65, worked as Arizona State’s co-DC with Pierce in 2020 and stayed on the Sun Devils’ staff as Pierce took on the full-time role in 2021.

The 16-year Bengals HC will work with Graham and Pierce on defense, while Philbin — and not ex-Raider HC Hue Jackson, a rumored target — is in place as a former NFL leader helping out on offense. These senior assistants could be more important on this particular staff due to Pierce’s inexperience.

Free agency additions:

Christian Wilkins, DT. Four years, $110MM ($57.5MM guaranteed)
Gardner Minshew, QB. Two years, $25MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Harrison Bryant, TE. One year, $3.25MM ($2.88MM guaranteed)
Alexander Mattison, RB. One year, $2MM ($1.65MM guaranteed)
Cody Whitehair, G. One year, $2.5MM ($1.35MM guaranteed)
Michael Gallup, WR. One year, $1.75MM ($828K guaranteed)
Andrus Peat, OL. One year, $2MM ($450K guaranteed)
Jalen Guyton, WR. One year, $1.29MM ($32K guaranteed)

Wilkins joined Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike as defensive tackles who scored market-changing deals this offseason, with the two more experienced players doing better due to unique circumstances. The Dolphins’ cap situation, which required multiple high-profile cuts and longtime starters departing in free agency, made a Wilkins franchise tag difficult. As a result, the five-year Miami starter followed Jones in scoring a monster guarantee.

After it became clear the Dolphins’ efforts to keep Wilkins off the market would fail, the Texans and Vikings surfaced as suitors. But the Raiders swooped in to add an impact piece to their Crosby-centric pass rush. Madubuike already raised the DT guarantee ceiling to $75.5MM upon being franchise-tagged and extended. Jones upped it to a staggering $95MM. Wilkins then secured $82.75MM in total guarantees ($57.5MM at signing).

To put these numbers in perspective, the top DT guarantee stood at $66MM (Quinnen Williams) entering 2024. Jones and Wilkins avoiding the tag, as the salary cap spiked by $30.6MM, keyed a market shift that will affect future teams’ negotiations with talented DTs.

Months-long Dolphins-Wilkins talks included an offer that would have made the 2019 first-rounder a top-10 highest-paid DT, with guarantees surpassing $40MM. Wilkins’ Raiders pact surpassing $80MM guaranteed highlights both favorable circumstances and the Clemson alum’s improvement as a pass rusher.

The Dolphins were hesitant to pay Wilkins on the level of the new DT market that formed — via the 2023 deals for first-rounders Williams, Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence — due to his limited production as a pass rusher. After displaying top-notch skills against the run, Wilkins broke through with nine sacks and 23 QB hits (his previous career-highs stood at 4.5 and 13 in these categories) in 2023. Wilkins finished 13th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric last season. This came after he ranked first and second, respectively, in run stop win rate in 2021 and ’22.

PFR’s No. 4 free agent, Wilkins saw Nos. 2 and 3 on that list (Baker Mayfield and Jones) cash in before the legal tampering period. Jones’ deal took an elite option off the market, clearing the runway for Wilkins’ windfall. The Raiders, who have kept costs low on their D-line for a bit, changed course and will aim for the 28-year-old DT changing the equation up front.

A herd of bridge- or backup-level quarterbacks hit free agency. As the Raiders acknowledged their miss on Jimmy Garoppolo, they made the biggest investment via Minshew’s $15MM. This contract rewards the spot starter after he took a $3.5MM deal to become insurance for the QB the Colts would draft. Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson decision translated to 13 Minshew starts. The Colts went 7-6 in those games, coming close to a surprise AFC South title.

Minshew’s $15MM total guarantee topped the next-closest free agent QB (Sam Darnold) by more than $6MM, illustrating the market for the former Jaguars sixth-rounder. The Raiders gave Garoppolo $33.75MM guaranteed and dropped him after six starts. Minshew’s contract would generate a maximum of $7.6MM in dead money if dropped in 2025.

The Raiders agreeing to pay out Minshew’s 2025 base salary ($11.84MM) will depend on the competition between he and 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell. With the Raiders’ primary 2023 starter believed to hold an early lead, Minshew will need to summon the moxie he showed in Jacksonville and Indianapolis.

The winner between Minshew and O’Connell may end up as the bridge to a to-be-determined 2025 draftee. For now, O’Connell is up against a passer with 37 career starts and a 59-to-24 TD-to-INT ratio. That obviously does not tell the full story, as no team has seen Minshew as a potential long-term starter. But QBR did place the now-28-year-old passer 13th last season. O’Connell ranked 25th. Neither player impressed in terms of yards per attempt, with O’Connell at 6.5 and Minshew at 6.7.

Unless O’Connell wins the job, the Raiders will turn to Minshew to help develop the likes of Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers. O’Connell, who will be 26 by Week 1, taking a step forward could complicate the Raiders’ expected 2025 QB search. Of course, that would be a good problem for a team that has seen instability define this position after nine years of Derek Carr.

Neither QB will need to worry about inexperience at wide receiver, with three veterans — Gallup, Adams, Jakobi Meyers — expected to play regular roles. The Cowboys cut Gallup two years into a five-year, $57.5MM extension; the former 1,100-yard target did not impress on his second Dallas deal. Already missing time due to injury in 2021, Gallup suffered an ACL tear late that season. Gallup posted his four-digit season before CeeDee Lamb‘s arrival but did amass 843 yards and five TDs in his final season before the injury. The Raiders will give the 28-year-old weapon, who has not surpassed 500 yards in a season since that 2020 campaign, a chance to work as an auxiliary piece in an expensive receiving crew.

Whitehair and Peat will bring considerable experience to a Raiders front that carries questions into camp. An eight-year Bears starter at guard and center, Whitehair has 118 starts on his resume. Set to turn 32 this week, Whitehair ranked as a bottom-10 guard in the view of Pro Football Focus last season. The former second-round pick graded in the top 30 in 2022, however.

Peat, 31, slid from his longtime LG post to left tackle as the Saints soured on Trevor Penning early last season. PFF graded Peat as a bottom-10 guard in 2022, but he enjoyed a productive Saints tenure by making 102 starts and appearing in three Pro Bowls.

The former first-round pick, who has three Pro Bowls on his resume, joined Whitehair in not generating much interest following an offseason release. Peat worked as Las Vegas’ LT in place of a rehabbing Kolton Miller, who is expected to be recovered from his shoulder surgery by Week 1. Whitehair saw first-unit time at LG. Neither may be a starter in Week 1, but combining for 17 years of experience, the 30-somethings loom as interesting insurance options on low-cost deals.

Re-signings:

Andre James, C. Three years, $24MM ($13MM guaranteed)
John Jenkins, DL. One year, $2.75MM ($2.21MM guaranteed)
Adam Butler, DT. One year, $1.8MM ($1.1MM guaranteed)
Ameer Abdullah, RB. One year, $1.5MM ($850K guaranteed)

This is already James’ third Raiders contract. The team was confident enough in the 2019 UDFA replacing Rodney Hudson in 2021 it authorized an early extension shortly after trading the Pro Bowler to the Cardinals. James has started 48 games since and secured better terms this year as a result.

PFR’s No. 31 overall free agent, James signed for more in terms of AAV and guarantees than any 2023 free agent center. While Lloyd Cushenberry beat him out among this year’s FA group, the fourth-year Vegas starter is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid snapper.

ESPN’s pass block win rate metric heaped praise on James’ 2023 season, ranking him third among all interior O-linemen. PFF slotted the UCLA alum as the NFL’s ninth-best center. The team’s new regime indeed viewed the Mike Mayock-era find as a keeper, and James provides stability for an O-line that is expected to feature both new starters and position changes.

Notable losses:

Brandon Bolden, RB
DeAndre Carter, WR
Jermaine Eluemunor, OL
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (post-June 1 cut)
Hroniss Grasu, OL
Tyler Hall, CB
Austin Hooper, TE
Brian Hoyer, QB (released)
Josh Jacobs, RB
Bilal Nichols, DL
Brandon Parker, T
Hunter Renfrow, WR (post-June 1 cut)
Amik Robertson, CB
Jerry Tillery, DT (released)
Greg Van Roten, G

Conflicting reports came out about the Raiders’ efforts to extend Jacobs at the July 2023 franchise tag deadline, but the 2022 rushing champ had backed Pierce’s HC bid this offseason. This Raider regime showed interest in keeping the Gruden-era first-rounder, but a postmortem indicated the Packers’ four-year, $48MM deal far surpassed the Silver and Black’s offer. Jacobs went on to say he never spoke directly with Telesco before free agency, wrapping a five-year partnership that featured four play-callers.

This year’s frenzied RB carousel stopped without the Raiders adding a starter-level back, though Mattison — the Vikings’ primary 2023 starter — is expected to back up Zamir White. Jacobs joined Mattison, Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Joe Mixon, Aaron Jones, D’Andre Swift and Devin Singletary as 2023 starters to change teams in March.

Despite Ekeler-Chargers extension talks going nowhere last year and a trade request producing a modest incentive package, Telesco was believed to have considered reuniting with his Bolts UDFA find. But the elusive back ended up in Washington hours after Jacobs’ Green Bay commitment.

Jacobs, 26, had expressed interest in remaining a Raider. The team made the rare move to bump his franchise tag pay to $11.8MM — from its $10.1MM place — after the Alabama alum had become the first Raider rushing champion since Marcus Allen. Ziegler is believed to have offered a $12MM-per-year deal before the July 2023 deadline. Jacobs matched that with the Packers, though the old-school franchise only guaranteed him $12.5MM at signing. Jacobs’ contract gives him a good chance of remaining on Green Bay’s roster for at least two seasons, however. That will match up with White’s rookie deal, as the Raiders evaluate whether the 2022 fourth-rounder — a late-season Jacobs injury replacement — can handle the gig.

The Raiders did not see Jacobs match his dominant 2022 output; he averaged 61.9 rushing yards per game compared to 97.2 during the All-Pro season. Jacobs also battled injuries during his Raiders tenure, one that concluded with four missed games due to multiple contusions. The Raiders will pivot from a player they gave 1,502 touches (sixth-most among active RBs) to White, who enters the season with 136.

Concerns about Garoppolo’s injury past and Kyle Shanahan‘s impact on his play proved justified early in his Raiders run, as the team benched him immediately after McDaniels’ firing. Garoppolo had undergone offseason foot surgery, which produced news of an injury waiver that did not surface until months later, and missed two games for unrelated injuries. Garoppolo played poorly, representing a misstep from the ex-Patriot decision-makers who greenlit the reunion.

The Garoppolo ouster cost the Raiders more than $17MM in dead money, a number reduced because of a two-game PED ban the 10-year veteran incurred this offseason. Las Vegas will take on the lion’s share of that dead cap hit in 2025; Garoppolo counts just $4.3MM on the team’s 2024 payroll. Pricier QB mistakes occurred in the AFC West in recent years, though the three-year, $72.75MM deal the Ziegler-McDaniels duo authorized for Garoppolo reflected poorly on a regime that made a few personnel mistakes.

After the previous power brokers’ refusal to pick up any remaining Hunter Renfrow 2023 salary to facilitate a deadline trade, Telesco dropped the disappointing slot player. Renfrow fell out of favor in McDaniels’ offense shortly after the Raiders gave him a two-year, $32MM extension. This strange development took a player who had totaled 1,038 receiving yards to lead the 2021 playoff-bound team into a cog who barely factored into the past two Raiders offenses. Telesco made a last-ditch attempt to trade the five-year veteran — he of 585 yards between 2022 and ’23 — but nothing transpired. Renfrow remains unsigned.

Another Gruden-Mayock-era find, Eluemunor loomed as a player the Raiders wanted to retain. They had signed the veteran O-lineman to one-year deals from 2021-23, the last of which for $3MM. The Giants blew that out of the water, giving the recent Raider RT a two-year, $14MM accord. PFF graded Eluemunor 35th among tackles last season; the ex-Ravens draftee gave the Raiders some cover for their Alex Leatherwood whiff. Thayer Munford, a 2022 seventh-rounder who pushed Eluemunor during training camp last year, is on track to replace him on the right edge.

Draft:

Round 1, No. 13: Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia) (signed)
Round 2, No. 44: Jackson Powers-Johnson (OL, Oregon) (signed)
Round 3, No. 77: Delmar Glaze (T, Maryland) (signed)
Round 4, No. 112: Decamerion Richardson (CB, Mississippi State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148: Tommy Eichenberg (LB, Ohio State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 208 (from Chiefs): Dylan Laube (RB, New Hampshire) (signed)
Round 7, No. 223 (from Patriots): Trey Taylor (S, Air Force) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Vikings): M.J. Devonshire (CB, Pitt) (signed)

The Raiders signed Minshew as insurance in the event the team did not draft a quarterback. That protection measure ended up being necessary once this draft’s top six passers went off the board in the first 12 picks. This did not go down without a substantial Raiders effort, however, as the team once again conducted a thorough QB research project only to leave a first round without one.

Pierce’s Jack Jones past produced a second chance; his Arizona State employment led to a spree of rumors surrounding what would have been a monster trade-up effort. Raiders-Jayden Daniels connections emerged by early February, after the ex-Sun Devils recruit had spent time with the team to support Pierce in Week 18.

The 2023 Heisman winner wanted to be a Raider, but draft rules being what they are, the Commanders’ 4-13 season put them in prime position to pounce after the Bears’ Caleb Williams choice. The Raiders met with Daniels, along with the other four non-Williams first-round arms in this class, but were hesitant — or undecided — on pulling the trigger to trade up for one of them.

A pre-draft report indicated Pierce advocated for a trade-up move while Telesco was fine standing down and retaining assets. After all, the Raiders made several first-round blunders under Gruden and then traded first- and second-rounders for Adams to start McDaniels’ tenure. The Raiders looked into Michael Penix Jr., viewing him as a Daniels consolation prize of sorts. But their evaluation of the Washington southpaw did not produce a consensus strong enough to warrant a trade into the top 10. Breaking with the Falcons’ evaluation, the Raiders only sought Penix in a trade-down maneuver.

The Raiders appeared to make an offer for No. 2 overall, with new Commanders GM Adam Peters — a Vegas interviewee — confirming one team did send a proposal. Given the Pierce-Daniels ties becoming a central pre-draft storyline, it is fairly safe to assume the Raiders made the offer. Mark Davis OK’d a trade-up, and the Raiders also discussed terms with the Cardinals (No. 4) and Chargers (No. 5). Ultimately, Las Vegas was left out. The Falcons, Vikings and Broncos scooped up the final three remaining QBs between Nos. 8 and 12, leaving the Raiders to regroup around a best-player-available strategy.

This year’s run of QBs in the top 12 left the consensus top tight end available at 13. The Raiders adding Bowers a year after trading up in Round 2 for Mayer will generate some challenges, in this receiver-heavy era, of deploying both. Bowers having a better receiving profile coming out of college, compared to Mayer operating as a more traditional tight end, would open the door to interesting 12 personnel wrinkles. This will be a challenge for Getsy, but Bowers does provide Minshew (and/or O’Connell) with a unique weapon.

Pierce denied Terrion Arnold‘s assertion the Raiders flipped a coin between he and Bowers, as that would be rather insane even considering Vegas’ apparent CB need. Bowers towered over this year’s TE prospects, being Georgia’s go-to pass catcher — a rare status in modern college football — in each of his three seasons in Athens. The dynamic pass catcher averaged at least 15 yards per reception in 2021 and ’22 and was on pace to surpass 1,000 yards last season, seeing an ankle injury slow him.

Bowers caught 26 TD passes in three seasons, despite missing four games in 2023. He will be a building-block player for a Raiders team figures to be in on the 2025 QB class. With each of Las Vegas’ top three wideouts on veteran contracts, the team’s two tight ends will be in line to team with a to-be-determined QB addition in the long term.

Powers-Johnson and Glaze will vie for jobs during training camp, with the former more likely to wind up a 2024 starter. A one-year center starter at Oregon, Powers-Johnson is expected to play guard in Vegas. The Raiders, however, saw their second-round pick miss most of the offseason program due to an undisclosed injury. While Powers-Johnson may well be the team’s starting left guard — as two-year LG Dylan Parham is now at right guard — he will likely have some ground to cover once pads come on.

Beating out Whitehair may be a difficult task after Powers-Johnson — last year’s Rimington Award winner — missed on-field offseason work and will be attempting to change positions. Glaze, who played full college seasons at both right and left tackle, has worked as Munford’s RT backup thus far.

Extensions and restructures:

Moved $7.2MM on Maxx Crosby‘s contract into 2024, ’25 seasons

Easily the best move of Gruden’s second Raiders tenure, Crosby has become one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. The 2019 fourth-rounder out of Eastern Michigan has never missed a game, and he led the league in tackles for loss in each of the past two seasons. Crosby has done his best work since signing a four-year, $94MM extension, a deal that commenced early in the McDaniels-Ziegler regime’s tenure. The edge rusher market has moved since, with less accomplished rushers surpassing him.

While the Raiders may be hesitant to extend Crosby with three years left on his contract, they rewarded him by moving money around within his deal. The team gave its top defender a $6MM raise for 2024 and moved $1.2MM in additional funds into 2025. This stripped some money from Crosby’s 2026 salary, but if he continues on his present path, it is highly unlikely the former mid-major talent remains on this contract by then.

Crosby’s deal now carries cap numbers of $30.5MM (2024) and $28.2MM (’25); no guaranteed salary is present next year. Bradley Chubb, Rashan Gary, Montez Sweat, Brian Burns and Joshua Hines-Allen have passed Crosby’s $23.5MM AAV, but the impact defender is not planning a power play for a better deal immediately. Crosby wants to remain with the Raiders throughout his career.

Other:

Shut down Davante Adams trade inquiries
Tom Brady‘s ownership stake remains on hold
Parted ways with VP of football operations Tom Jones
Signed 17 UDFAs

A year after insisting Keenan Allen was not available in his final Combine as Chargers GM, Telesco said Adams would be a Raider in 2024. The Raiders have received trade inquiries on the All-Pro wideout since before the 2023 deadline, and while they resisted, the three-time first-team All-Pro would stand to bring back a solid return for a team that could not do much with early-round draft choices from 2018-22. That has weakened Las Vegas’ roster, and our most recent Trade Rumors Front Office piece highlighted the events that have made Adams an ill-fitting piece for a team that does not appear to have its long-term QB in place.

The team may or may not have set an unrealistic asking price on the 11th-year wideout, as a two-first-rounder cost surfaced in February. For his part, Adams has said he wants to stay, and Davis is interested in pairing Adams with the team’s next long-term QB. Of course, that rumor emerged before a draft that did not bring a passer back to Vegas. Will the Raiders reassess their Adams stance before this year’s deadline as a result?

The Brady holding pattern persists, with a few owners’ meetings coming and going without a vote being cast. The legendary QB-turned-FOX analyst is still more likely than not to eventually end up a Raiders part-owner, but clubs are understandably concerned about a conflict of interest. Roger Goodell went as far to say a Brady policy would need to be adopted regarding his access to team facilities as he prepares for broadcast assignments.

Top 10 cap charges for 2024:

Maxx Crosby, OLB: $30.48MM
Davante Adams, WR: $25.35MM
Kolton Miller, LT: $15.68MM
Christian Wilkins, DT: $10.3MM
Jakobi Meyers, WR: $9.48MM
Gardner Minshew, QB: $8MM
Marcus Epps, WR: $7.29MM
Andre James, C: $6.29MM
Tyree Wilson, DL: $5.68MM
Robert Spillane, LB: $5.3MM

This appears a full-on transition season for the Raiders, who may be biding their time ahead of a pivotal 2025 offseason. After Pierce’s reported interest in acquiring a long-term quarterback hopeful this year, steady QB rumors figure to flood Raiders news cycles in the coming months. For now, Pierce takes center stage after an unusual ascent to an NFL HC job. He is now in a division with Harbaugh, Andy Reid and Sean Payton. Although the clock on Pierce and Telesco may not start until the Raiders make their QB move, this will be a fascinating debut.

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