Las Vegas Raiders News & Rumors

Raiders Release WR Hunter Renfrow

March 14th, 2024 at 8:34am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: As expected, the Garoppolo release will be classified as a post-June 1 cut. The Raiders will pick up $24MM in cap space (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) as a result, though the money will not be available for nearly three months, and the designation will spread out the dead cap stemming from the 2023 signing over two offseasons.

MARCH 13: The Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo release will come to pass today, but the Silver and Black are also moving on from another offensive cog who has not lived up to his contract. They are set to release Hunter Renfrow, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The team has since made the Renfrow and Garoppolo releases official as well.

Given a two-year, $32MM deal during the 2022 offseason, Renfrow strangely fell out of favor while on that contract. Trade efforts last year producing no deal will lead to the veteran slot receiver becoming a street free agent today. Renfrow was set to earn an $11.2MM base salary next season.

Although the Raiders did not get much out of the Clemson alum following his 1,000-yard season — which played a central role in their Rich Bisaccia-overseen playoff berth — they will save more than $8MM with this release. Since his 1,038-yard 2021 slate, Renfrow has combined for just 585 yards over the past two seasons. This will go down as a notable mistake during the brief Josh McDaniels era, as Renfrow proved ill-fitting in the Raiders’ most recent offensive scheme despite McDaniels and Dave Ziegler signing off on the extension.

The Raiders shopped Renfrow at the 2023 deadline, doing so as Mark Davis became resigned to another staff overhaul. Prior to the McDaniels and Ziegler firings, they could not convince any team to take on Renfrow’s remaining base salary. Las Vegas did not want to eat any salary to move Renfrow last year. The team resumed its effort to trade the former Jon Gruden draftee this offseason, but nothing came to pass. Renfrow, 28, will join Tyler Boyd and Curtis Samuel among available slot receivers on the market.

Renfrow poses as an interesting candidate for a bounce-back deal, given his production under Gruden and down the stretch in 2021. The former fifth-round pick strung together back-to-back 600-plus-yard seasons in 2019 and ’20, becoming the Raiders’ top complement — as their Antonio Brown move combusted before the 2019 season — to Darren Waller in those years. With Waller sidelined for a chunk of the 2021 stretch run, Derek Carr turned to Renfrow as his top chain-mover. The Saints would profile as a potentially interested party, but Renfrow has not put much in the way of quality on tape over the past two seasons.

Raiders To Add TE Harrison Bryant

March 13th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Michael Mayer in place as the Raiders’ starting tight end, the team will bring in one of Austin Hooper‘s former teammates to fill the sidekick role at the position.

Hooper committed to the Patriots on Tuesday night, rejoining Alex Van Pelt in New England. The Raiders will move to ex-Browns role player Harrison Bryant on a one-year deal ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes is worth $3.25MM. Bryant could earn up to $4MM, Schefter adds.

A fourth-round pick in 2020, Bryant maintained a steady role on offense across his first three seasons in Cleveland. He made 24, 21 and 31 receptions from 2020-22, recording almost identical yardage totals during that span. Bryant’s roster security was in question last spring, however, and he found himself on the trade block. No deal emerged, but the FAU alum was limited to just 13 catches this past season.

Bryant did score three touchdowns in 2023, bringing his career total in that regard to 10. The 25-year-old will aim to remain an end zone target in Vegas while seeing an uptick in usage. Mayer drew 40 targets during his rookie season, a figure which could stand to increase moving forward. Given the team’s decision to move on from slot wideout Hunter Renfrow, though, more opportunities could be available in the middle of the field for both Mayer and Bryant.

The Browns have David Njoku on the books for another two seasons, and he will remain Cleveland’s starter at the TE spot moving forward. A depth addition could be coming during the second wave of free agency or the draft to replace Bryant’s secondary contributions, however. The latter will prepare to catch passes from at least one of Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell in 2024 knowing a strong campaign could boost his market value next offseason.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Raiders To Add DT Christian Wilkins

March 12th, 2024 at 12:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Following Chris Jones‘ decision to stay with the Chiefs, the Raiders will pick up this year’s top defensive free agent remaining. Christian Wilkins is heading to Las Vegas.

Like Jones, Wilkins will benefit from betting on himself in a contract year. The Raiders are giving the former Dolphins first-rounder a four-year, $110MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Wilkins will receive a whopping $84.75MM guaranteed to help the Raiders’ defensive line.

In terms of full guarantees, the Raiders are giving the 2019 first-rounder $57.5MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. But Wilkins’ 2026 salary ($27.25MM) locks in on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, giving him the kind of year-out security Jones scored from the Chiefs. This effectively makes that above $84.75MM the full guarantee number. Jones and Wilkins’ deals finish off a transformative week for the D-tackle market.

To illustrate where this market has gone over the past four days, Quinnen Williams‘ $66MM in guarantees topped the field entering March. Justin Madubuike soon scored $75MM guaranteed on his Ravens extension, and Jones has a practical guarantee of $95.3MM. Wilkins, despite the Dolphins being reluctant to pay him in line with Williams last year, will outdo the Jets performer in AAV and guarantees.

At $27.5MM per year, Wilkins is now attached to the third-highest D-tackle AAV — behind only Jones and Aaron Donald. Despite committing to the Raiders for just four years (as opposed to Jones’ five-year Chiefs pledge), Jones will see his guarantees spike to this rare place. Only four edge rushers match the guarantee Wilkins just scored with the Raiders, illustrating the value of hitting the market at the right time.

After the Raiders struggled for 20 years to assemble a quality defense, Patrick Graham’s unit did take a step forward in 2023. The Raiders ranked ninth in scoring defense — their first top-15 ranking since 2002 — but the team was light on D-line investments. That will change, as Wilkins joins Maxx Crosby to anchor the Raiders’ pass rush.

The Texans and Vikings were believed to be among the teams in on Wilkins, and the Dolphins made a futile attempt to keep him at the 11th hour. But Miami does not reside in a good cap situation. The team offered Wilkins a deal north of the $17MM-per-year point in 2023; Wilkins moved to a higher NFL tax bracket in free agency. Wilkins is coming off his best year as a pass rusher. After totaling 11.5 sacks over his first four seasons, the Clemson alum registered nine last season. He has also been one of the NFL’s top run-defending DTs in recent years, ranking in the top two in ESPN’s run stop win rate metric in 2021 and ’22. At 28, Wilkins brings upside on two fronts to Vegas.

The Raiders ranked 21st against the run last season. Bilal Nichols, Adam Butler and John Jenkins are free agents, leaving Las Vegas with more work to do here. But Wilkins will become the team’s centerpiece D-lineman. The Raiders will hope their latest Clemson investment pays off alongside Crosby for the long haul.

Raiders To Sign QB Gardner Minshew

March 11th, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Well, a Justin Fields-Raiders union seems unlikely to come to pass now. The Raiders are in agreement with Gardner Minshew on a two-year deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

As things move fast in the early days of free agency, the Raiders were reported to be considering Fields. But they were previously mentioned as a non-suitor for the Bears passer. Minshew now looks to be the passer coming in to compete with Aidan O’Connell — and perhaps a rookie — for the job.

Minshew needed to settle for just a $3.5MM deal as a Colts bridge last year. His work replacing Anthony Richardson garnered the ex-Jaguars draftee a much bigger market. The Raiders are giving Minshew $15MM guaranteed on a deal worth $25MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Based on this contract, O’Connell does not seem to have much of a shot to retain his starting job.

The Colts benefited from their Minshew stopgap addition, coming close to rebounding from a four-win 2022 season by making the playoffs. That journey fell just short, with the Texans edging the Colts in Week 18, but Minshew made another extended audition count. He found believers in the Raiders, who now have a QB1 option while they assess their long-term plan.

Minshew, 27, has already made 37 career starts — mostly with the Jaguars and Colts. Last season, the popular backup became needed as a starter once again after Richardson needed shoulder surgery. The Colts’ passing attack may well have been better off — for 2023, at least — with Richardson a raw prospect on the aerial front. Minshew threw for 3,305 yards, though at just 6.7 per attempt, and tossed 15 TD passes compared to nine INTs. QBR placed Minshew 13th, as he helped the Colts to a nine-win season, going 7-6 as a starter.

Joining Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco among the bridge options on this year’s market, Minshew scoring this Raiders deal represents one fewer starter opportunity for the rest of this lot. The Vikings are believed to be interested in Darnold, however, and it is not known if the Broncos will go with 2022 Raiders backup Jarrett Stidham post-Russell Wilson or snag another veteran.

The Broncos, Vikings and Raiders have been tied to move for a rookie. Antonio Pierce has been the most transparent regarding interest in a longer-term option. The Raiders have been connected to Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State during Pierce’s tenure on staff, but that move would require Las Vegas surrendering significant assets. For now, the team has Minshew as a placeholder — and a well-paid one at that.

Raiders Considering Justin Fields Trade?

March 11th, 2024 at 3:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Falcons acquiring Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields does not have a clear option to continue his starter career. Though, a team thought to be out may be considering an addition.

The Raiders were believed to be kicking the tires on a Fields-Luke Getsy reunion, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. With the Falcons out of the mix, the Bears may need to bring down their asking price. Although Chicago wanted to deal Fields before free agency, his market has hit a snag.

An example of how fast free agency moves, the Raiders have now agreed to a deal with Gardner Minshew. The Silver and Black are signing Minshew to a two-year agreement. This stands to keep the Fields trail cold. With the Falcons and now likely the Raiders out of the mix, it is worth wondering how the Bears will proceed here.

The Bears did not find the kind of Fields market they hoped for. With the team zeroing in on Caleb Williams, Fields may soon see his 2023 development lead to a demotion. The Raiders, Falcons and Steelers have gone with other options, and the QB-needy Broncos are not expected to be interested in a player who would certainly be an upgrade on Jarrett Stidham. Considering Sean Payton‘s actions with Russell Wilson, it would be unlikely he signs off on Fields running his offense.

Fields also would not seem a fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense, and a Bears-Vikings trade would be unlikely. Though, the Drew Bledsoe and Donovan McNabb trades show intra-divisional QB swaps are not out of the question. It will be interesting to see where the Bears go from here, as it does not sound like they are in line to obtain much for their three-year starter at this point.

Raiders Unlikely To Keep RB Josh Jacobs Off Market; Team Has Made Offer

March 11th, 2024 at 10:27am CST by Sam Robinson

After three franchise tags diluted the 2023 running back market, it appears the free agent market will feature a flood of veteran starters this year. The Raiders are almost definitely going to need to outbid competition to keep Josh Jacobs.

The team had been trying to re-sign Jacobs, but with a new GM in place, some uncertainty entered the equation despite the former rushing champion stumping for Antonio Pierce earlier this offseason. The Raiders still want Jacobs back, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates he is likely headed to the market.

Las Vegas has made an offer to Jacobs, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who adds the 2019 first-round pick could soon be tied to an eight-figure-per-year average salary. Coming off Jacobs’ 2022 rushing title, the Raiders made an offer to extend him just before the July deadline. Jacobs passed and was unable to replicate his strong form of 2022. While he showed more under Pierce in the season’s second half, the five-year Raiders starter only posted two 100-yard games in an 805-yard season that saw the Alabama alum rank in the bottom five in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric.

The legal tampering period begins in less than an hour, putting teams that want to keep certain UFAs in crunch time. Being this close to free agency for the first time, Jacobs will naturally want to see gauge his value when given the ability to speak with multiple teams for the first time. He and Saquon Barkley profile as the top backs available, and Fowler adds they may well be off the board early. Barkley’s market is expected to surpass Jacobs’, but this does give the 2022 rushing champ a shot to hit free agency before his age-26 season. Barkley did not have that chance last year, joining Jacobs and Tony Pollard in being tagged.

Barkley and Jacobs join Pollard, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, D’Andre Swift, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards as starters who will test free agency. Jacobs took a step back last year and finished the season on the shelf with multiple contusions. The Raiders also hired a new GM — Tom Telesco — who passed on renegotiating Ekeler’s deal last year with the Chargers, instead signing off on a small incentive package. With so many available backs, the Raiders may go shopping soon.

Raiders Re-Sign C Andre James

March 10th, 2024 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Andre James was on track to be one of the top centers available in free agency. Instead, he will remain in place with the Raiders, as his agency announced on Sunday.

Providing further details, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report that James will receive $24MM on a three-year agreement. Of that figure, $16MM is guaranteed. As a result, the 26-year-old will move into seventh in terms of annual compensation amongst centers.

James was certainly due a raise after his third year as a starter. In a contract year, James delivered a career-year, grading out as the league’s ninth-best center, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He displayed a well-rounded game, grading out as the eighth-best pass blocking center and the 11th-best run blocking center. He has had injuries force him to miss a game or two in the past two seasons, but for the most part, James has been extremely reliable.

Getting this deal worked out before free agency will allow the Raiders to maintain stability at a critical spot on the O-line. The move also notably means Dylan Parham will remain at guard moving forward, after he faced uncertainty about his future usage. James and Parham will be major factors in Vegas’ ability to deliver a strong season up front in 2024 and beyond.

James, Parham, and starting right guard Greg Van Roten anchored an offensive line that saw improvement last year but still has a ways to go. Van Roten and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor still find themselves headed towards free agency, but with Thayer Munford showing an ability to step up and start at times this season, James was the clear priority. With James now under a new deal, the Raiders can now shift focus to remaining free agents.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Raiders To Release DE Jerry Tillery

March 9th, 2024 at 11:14am CST by Ben Levine

Jerry Tillery‘s stint with the Raiders has come to an end. The team informed the defensive end that they will release him following the start of the league year, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

After spending the second half of the 2022 campaign in Las Vegas, Tillery re-signed with the Raiders last offseason, inking a two-year, $6.8MM contract. Releasing the defensive lineman will free up around $3.8MM in cap space for the organization.

The former first-round pick disappointed during his three-plus seasons with the Chargers. Tillery steadily earned more snaps through his first three seasons in the league, but he wasn’t able to provide the Chargers with the top-end DL skills that they were seeking.

2021 marked a career year for Tillery from a counting stats perspective, with the defensive end compiling 51 tackles and 4.5 sacks while starting 15 of his 16 appearances. That extended look was apparently enough for the Chargers to determine he wasn’t a future piece, as the front office declined his fifth-year option the following offseason. Tillery found himself with a backup role in 2022 before ultimately getting waived midway through the season.

The Raiders ended up claiming the former first rounder, and he proceeded to start four of his eight appearances in Las Vegas. He started six of his 17 games this past year, finishing with 31 tackles and a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus graded Tillery 40th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although none of his skills graded out as anything more than above-average.

Considering his first-round pedigree, there’s a good chance Tillery can find a new home for 2024. However, following another underwhelming season, those changes may soon dry up for the 27-year-old.

Raiders Re-Sign RB Ameer Abdullah

March 8th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Ely Allen

For the third year in a row, veteran running back Ameer Abdullah will sign a new contract with the Raiders in March, the team announced today. Initially coming to Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent in 2022, Abdullah returns for his third season with the Raiders.

After a prolific college career at Nebraska, Abdullah came into the league as a second-round draft pick by the Lions. He spent six years in the NFC North between Detroit and Minnesota before ending his seventh season with the Panthers. Since then, Abdullah has sported black and silver in Las Vegas.

Abdullah’s most productive seasons came with the Lions during his first three years, but he found a role as a receiving back and kick returner as his career has progressed. That has been reflected during his time with the Raiders. In two years with the team, Abdullah has taken a backseat to Josh Jacobs and Zamir White, only rushing for 109 yards in those two seasons combined. As a receiving back, though, Abdullah racked up 44 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown over that same period. Abdullah also served as the team’s primary kick returner in 2022 before ceding that responsibility to DeAndre Carter in 2023.

With Jacobs assumed to be on the way out via free agency, the Raiders accomplish a minor feat here by solidifying trusted depth behind White for the 2024 season. Fellow backup rusher Brandon Bolden is also set for free agency, so White and Abdullah represent the only running backs on the roster for now. With free agency and the draft on the horizon, Las Vegas will have to seek some additions but will do so from a base of White and Abdullah.

Raiders To Release QB Brian Hoyer

March 8th, 2024 at 1:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brought to Las Vegas after considering retirement last year, Brian Hoyer took a backseat after Josh McDaniels’ midseason firing. As the Raiders attempt to revamp their quarterback room, it will no longer include the veteran backup.

The Raiders are releasing Hoyer, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will precede Jimmy Garoppolo‘s upcoming release, severing ties with the ex-Patriots wing of the Raiders’ QB room. Aidan O’Connell will remain with the team, as three years remain on the fourth-rounder’s rookie contract.

A complex Raiders QB year featured some notable Hoyer cameos. Despite being brought aboard in April, Hoyer needed to work as the team’s first-stringer during much of the offseason program due to Garoppolo’s foot surgery. Garoppolo was not initially believed to have needed surgery, but McDaniels announced the operation last May. This led to the then-37-year-old Hoyer taking reps as Garoppolo rehabbed.

Garoppolo missed two games due to injury during his starter portion of the season. While McDaniels initially summoned O’Connell as the replacement, the coach changed course when Garoppolo missed another game and started Hoyer. The former McDaniels Patriots charge was ineffective in an ugly loss to the Bears, though he did replace Garoppolo the previous week and help the Raiders hold off the Patriots. Hoyer did not play again after the Raiders’ 30-12 loss to the Bears.

The Raiders guaranteed most of Hoyer’s two-year, $4.5MM contract; that will bring some dead money for the now-Antonio Pierce-led team. Las Vegas will take on $2.6MM in dead cap due to the Hoyer release. This could conceivably wrap a long-running career for Hoyer, who served as the starter for the Browns and Texans during a productive mid-2010s stretch. For the most part, Hoyer has been a backup during his career.

Prior to coming to the Raiders, the Cleveland-area native missed much of the 2022 season due to a concussion. Hoyer also was part of the Bill Belichick-Mac Jones back-and-forth that year, expressing frustration at the team’s widely panned decision to give Matt Patricia play-calling duties. At 38, Hoyer is the second-oldest active quarterback; only Aaron Rodgers (40) is older. Hoyer has been in the NFL since coming into the league as a 2009 UDFA.

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