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New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Raiders 53-man roster projection: What did we learn in OTAs and minicamp?
No final roster decisions are made during OTAs, but there was valuable insight about the pecking order throughout the Las Vegas Raiders' roster. While several starters on both sides of the ball appear locked in, a few key jobs remain in the air. As always, there will be strong competition to carve out depth roles once training camp begins in July. Advertisement General manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll are early in the process of formulating what the roster will look like, and there's still potential for them to make outside additions before the start of the season. For the most part, OTAs were about laying a foundation. 'We learned a lot,' Carroll said last week. 'The whole purpose here is to figure them out. … We've gone to great depths trying to get to understand our guys, what's important to them, what are their goals and their principles, and how they approach stuff so that we can better teach them and reach them.' Here's a post-OTAs 53-man roster projection for the Raiders. Starter: Geno Smith Depth: Aidan O'Connell, Cam Smith Analysis: Cam Smith's reps in OTAs were extremely limited as the coaching staff focused on getting Geno Smith and O'Connell acclimated to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's system. That'll probably remain the case in training camp, but the rookie will get some burn in preseason games. He's the most mobile quarterback on the roster, has a solid arm and is worth keeping around as a developmental backup. Starter: Ashton Jeanty Depth: Raheem Mostert, Sincere McCormick, Zamir White Analysis: Jeanty is the clear-cut lead back, but the Raiders want to avoid running him into the ground. Mostert will be the primary third-down back and will help spare Jeanty on early downs alongside McCormick. White will compete with Dylan Laube, a skilled returner, to make the roster. Starter: Brock Bowers Depth: Michael Mayer, Ian Thomas Analysis: Mayer missed six games due to personal reasons last season and never looked like himself. As good as Bowers is, the Raiders are hopeful Mayer has a bounce-back year to round out the tight end room and allow Kelly to justify using 12 personnel more often. Advertisement Starters: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton Depth: Jack Bech, Tommy Mellott Analysis: Meyers was mostly used as a slot receiver during OTAs, while Tucker and Thornton handled the majority of the reps on the outside with the first-team offense. Bech, drafted in the second round, will make his case for a starting role in training camp. Mellott should be the backup slot receiver and could potentially carve out a role as a returner. Starters: LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Alex Cappa, RT DJ Glaze Depth: OL Thayer Munford, G Jordan Meredith, OT Charles Grant, G Caleb Rogers Analysis: There's an ongoing position battle at left guard between Parham, Munford and Meredith that's worth keeping an eye on. Munford played offensive tackle his first three years with the Raiders but has experience at guard in college. Rookies Grant and Rogers have a long way to go to get into the rotation. Starters: DT Christian Wilkins, NT Leki Fotu, DT Adam Butler Depth: Zach Carter, Tonka Hemingway, JJ Pegues, Jonah Laulu Analysis: The Raiders flipped between four- and five-man fronts throughout OTAs, but we'll go with a five-man front as their base given the precarious state of their nickelback position. Wilkins missed all of OTAs as he continues to recover from the Jones fracture he suffered last October, and his health will be a major storyline going into training camp. Carter has replaced Wilkins during his absence. If Wilkins misses time in training camp, it'll be interesting to see if rookies Hemingway and Pegues can create some competition. Starters: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce Depth: Tyree Wilson, Charles Snowden, Jah Joyner Analysis: Wilson and Snowden are jockeying to be the first defensive end off the bench. It's a pivotal year for Wilson as the Raiders decide on his fifth-year option after this season. Barring a major breakout, they'll almost certainly decline it. Joyner is a bendy, explosive pass rusher who could make some noise once the pads come on in training camp. Advertisement Starters: Germaine Pratt, Elandon Roberts Depth: Devin White, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Gainer Analysis: Pratt signed right before the end of OTAs, so he hasn't practiced with the team yet. But it'll be a major surprise if he doesn't quickly become the starting Will linebacker in training camp. White performed well in that role in OTAs, but he's best coming off the bench at this stage of his career. Eichenberg and Gainer need to show significant special-teams value and progress on defense to make the team. Starters: Eric Stokes, Darien Porter Depth: Jakorian Bennett, Decamerion Richardson, Darnay Holmes Analysis: Stokes and Porter were the starting cornerbacks throughout OTAs. Bennett is still recovering from his surgery to repair a torn labrum in November, however, and could push for one of those spots once he's at full strength. Richardson looks like more of a depth option on the outside, while Holmes is currently the only viable slot corner on the roster. Starters: Jeremy Chinn, Isaiah Pola-Mao Depth: Lonnie Johnson Jr., Thomas Harper Analysis: Chinn will spend a lot of time lined up at nickelback and working in the box. When he lined up in those areas in OTAs, the Raiders often brought Johnson onto the field as a third safety. Unless the Raiders sign an upgrade at nickelback, expect that to continue into training camp. Harper was solid last season and may push Johnson for his role. K Daniel Carlson P AJ Cole LS Jacob Bobenmoyer Analysis: The Raiders have had an All-Pro-caliber kicking battery for years, and there's no reason to expect that to change. Carlson is going into the final year of his contract and could be in line for an extension soon.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Maxx Crosby Details Key Differences for Raiders Before 2025 Season
Maxx Crosby Details Key Differences for Raiders Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders gave defensive end Maxx Crosby a record-breaking three-year, $106.5 million extension in March just before free agency. Advertisement Despite a regime change that brought in new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, the new brass felt that the two-time All-Pro should be compensated like the other great non-quarterbacks in the NFL. Just because Crosby has been paid, however, does not mean that the Raiders will be an entirely different team. They won just four games in 2024 and still have a ways to go if they want to be a legitimate contender in a brutal AFC. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Crosby seems to think that this team can compete right away, however. He spoke on a recent episode of "Glory Daze" with Johnny Manziel about a few key differences for Las Vegas heading into the 2025 season. Advertisement "It's awesome when you don't have to be the only guy. I don't have to go and (expletive) the offense every other day, like I've had to in the past," Crosby said. "You got a guy like Geno (Smith), who's a real leader, he's got his (expletive) guys. He's got their group. Then you got our O-Line, Jackson Powers(-Johnson), he's a young dude, but he's stepping up as a leader. ... That's what you need to win." This offseason brought massive upgrades in the form of quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty, and it seems like those players have instilled confidence in players like Crosby as well. Jackson Powers-Johnson should also settle in at center this year and become one of the best in the league at his position right away. Las Vegas had the worst rushing attack in the league last season, and arguably the worst quarterback situation as well. However, Spytek seems to have found remedies for both the talent and leadership issues that the Raiders endured last season. Advertisement Navigating through the AFC West will still be difficult, as the Chiefs, Broncos and Chargers each won at least 10 games in 2024 en route to a playoff berth. Crosby is coming off his lowest sack total since the 2020 NFL season, but he missed five games in 2024, marking the first year that he has missed time during his professional career. However, he has been a full participant in the team's offseason program and should be ready to take this Raiders team to new heights in 2025. Related: Raiders' Ashton Jeanty Reveals All-Time Favorite NFL Running Back Related: Rival Fans Blast Raiders Over Viral Minicamp Video This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rival Fans Blast Raiders Over Viral Minicamp Video
Rival Fans Blast Raiders Over Viral Minicamp Video originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders have enjoyed a productive offseason with new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek. Advertisement After overhauling the roster during free agency, the team made 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft and added another 15 or so undrafted free agents. With the OTA portion of the offseason officially done, the Raiders held their mandatory minicamp from Tuesday to Thursday this week. Every player was in attendance, but defensive tackle Christian Wilkins failed to participate as he returns from injury. On the last day of minicamp, the Raiders chose to have a bit of fun. A video emerged of a staff member, in what appeared to be a large hamster wheel, rolling through the practice field during the team's stretching period. While Raider Nation had a lot of fun with the footage, several fans from rival fan bases responded more negatively. They flooded the comments with criticisms of the Raiders and the new regime. Advertisement "This is another reason why the raiders have been the laughing stock of the NFL for over 2 decades," one fan wrote. "Lmaooooo these dudes suck," another added. "Looks like something a team that does victory laps after regular season games would do," a fan responded. "No wonder why they suck," another replied. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Ward-Imagn Images "Another 4-13 season is what's happening," a fan chimed in. "2-15 incoming," another said. "Focused on not winning games," one fan replied. "They don't take anything serious," another commented. Las Vegas will open its season on September 7 on the road against the New England Patriots. Related: Raiders Starting CB Provides Injury Update at Minicamp Related: Raiders' Veteran Defender Returns to Practice After Brief Absence This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ex-Raiders Cornerback Hoping For Another Chance After Disappointing Season
Ex-Raiders Cornerback Hoping For Another Chance After Disappointing Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders had the strongest defense in the league during the second half of the 2023 NFL season. Under head coach Antonio Pierce, the unit was firing on all cylinders and helped the Raiders earned an 8-9 record despite poor quarterback play. Advertisement Unfortunately, it seemed like the team had only caught lightning in a bottle based on their dramatic fall from grace in 2024. Injuries certainly stacked up and hurt the group overall, but several players were not able to replicate their strong performances. This caused Pierce to be fired after one full season at the helm. New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have already taken a wrecking ball to last year's four-win roster this offseason. Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones (18).Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Former starting cornerback Jack Jones was waived by the team before the draft after an up and down campaign in 2024. He recently spoke on an episode of "The Pivot Podcast" and revealed that he is looking for another chance in the NFL. Advertisement "I'm just going to show up and prove it," Jones said. "Whatever team needs a corner is going to give me an opportunity, and I'm going to show up and prove it every day. I'm going to be the best guy on the field and the best guy in the film room.' Jones was claimed on waivers by the Raiders with seven games left in the 2024 season, and he was an electrifying player for the secondary immediately. He had two iconic pick-sixes against Patrick Mahomes and the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football. Despite recording 16 passes defended, three interceptions and another defensive touchdown last season, the new regime felt that he was too hit or miss to justify keeping him around. Jones also spoke about his need to improve in this realm. 'It's the day-to-day. It's about being consistent,' Jones said. 'I have to do that by showing up and proving it. I could sit here and tell you I'll be perfect all day, that I'll go 10-for-10 always. But without the work and effort and consistency, it's all talk." Advertisement Jones has also dealt with a handful of legal issues over his football career and developed a bit of a reputation for not being the best teammate. He also acknowledged these accusations and is setting himself out to prove them wrong. 'I'm here for ball,' Jones said. 'All the outside noise that I'm pretty sure they're hearing that 'Jack is hanging out with the wrong group' or 'Jack doesn't always make the right decisions,' I'm going to be there and prove it wrong. I'll show up every day, put on my hard hat, close my mouth and get to work.' Related: Maxx Crosby Details Key Differences for Raiders Before 2025 Season Related: Ashton Jeanty Reveals Which Raiders Opponent He's Most Excited to Play This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Unexpected Rookie Taking First-Team Reps at Raiders OTAs
Unexpected Rookie Taking First-Team Reps at Raiders OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. John Spytek is taking a different approach as the general manager of the Las Vegas Raiders. He and new head coach Pete Carroll let several big contributors leave during free agency this offseason in favor of other players. Advertisement Their decision to let both starting linebackers go and part ways with four of their five starting defensive backs was met with a bit of hesitancy from Raider Nation. However, they have built both a younger and cheaper roster than last year's four-win team, which is promising for a franchise that has long struggled. With cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Jack Jones no longer with the Silver and Black, the team added 2021 first-rounder Eric Stokes during free agency and used a third-round pick on Iowa State's Darien Porter. Las Vegas Raiders CB Darien Porter (10).Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images Porter was seen as a bit of a project considering he switched from wide receiver to cornerback while in college. He started just seven games at cornerback for the Cyclones, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore reported that he was taking first-team reps during Raiders OTAs. Advertisement "Based on the work he got in OTAs — he's been working with the first team opposite Eric Stokes — Porter is either on the fast track to a major role or the Raiders are throwing as much as possible at him to help expedite his development," Bonsignore wrote. This news is a bit unexpected considering 2023 fourth-round pick Jakorian Bennett was above-average in his starting role last season and both Stokes and Decamerion Richardson have more experience. It is no surprise, however, that the team is investing heavily in Porter because he embodies everything that Pete Carroll loves in a cornerback. At nearly 6-foot-4 with 33 and 1/8-inch arms, he has the ideal frame and physical play style that Carroll covets in a defensive back. Carroll may be throwing the rookie into the fire during OTAs and plans on implementing Bennett as a starter once he is fully recovered from his shoulder injury. However, it is also possible that Carroll found a diamond in the rough once again and the Raiders will rely on Porter heavily as a rookie. Advertisement Related: Raiders Insider Provides Update On Second-Round Pick's Contract Situation Related: Raiders Insider Leaves Door Open for Veteran CB Addition This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
