The Raiders shed both starting LBs from last year, letting Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo both walk in free agency. Spillane dominated team tackles, while Deablo checked in just sixth, amid wavering playing time while he dealt with injuries. Vegas imported three lower-cost options to compete for the top two spots. Elandon Roberts signed first, with a one-year deal on March 13. Devin White followed at the end of March. But then the team added Germaine Pratt in June, after the Bengals released him.
Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton regularly ran with the first-team offense this spring. The Athletic's Tashan Reed lists Thornton as a starter in his 53-man roster projection, alongside Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.
Raiders HC Pete Carroll indicated Thursday that he wouldn’t fully unleash rookie RB Ashton Jeanty. "I love having multiple guys play," Carroll said via NFL.com. "I'm not relying on one guy, you know." But should you believe him?
The Raiders drafted North Dakota State QB Cam Miller with the 215th pick in Round 6 of the NFL Draft. Miller was not invited to the NFL Combine, but had a strong profile for an FCS QB. He threw for 3,251 and 33 TDs with only four INTs this past season. He also adds some rushing ability with 631 yards and 12 rushing TDs. He will have a chance to make the team as the third QB on the roster.
The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Montana State WR Tommy Mellott with the 213th pick on Round 6 in the NFL Draft. Mellott was a college QB who threw for 2,759 yards and 31 TDs this past season, but also ran for 1,050 yards and 15 TDs. He had a 9.68 Relative Athletic Score at WR with a 41" Vertical and 4.39 40 time at 5'11 and 200 pounds. Mellott's athleticism makes him a prime candidate for the position switch to be an offensive weapon for the Raiders.
The Raiders selected Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton with the 108th pick of Round 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft. Thornton led the Volunteers in receiving yards and led all of FBS in yards per reception at 25.42. His 4.30 40-time at nearly 6’5 and 205 pounds is extremely impressive. Thornton was a four-star recruit who headed to Oregon based on his speed and athletic ability. He never quite developed in Eugene, but he found some success as a deep threat in Tennessee over the last two seasons. He had a 9.85 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on his predraft testing. He also ranked 48th among Combine WRs in 2024 Target Share at 9.1%, and 18th among those WRs in PFF Receiving Grade with an 80.6. He is currently 22 years old with a Breakout Age of 18.8. He ranked 25th among WRs in our Draft Sharks predraft Rookie Model scoring 6.00. Our Comp for him in our Rookie Guide is Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Thornton is likely a one-trick pony in the NFL, but he may develop into one of the best deep threats in the league.
The Raiders selected TCU WR Jack Bech with the 58th pick of Round Two in the 2025 NFL Draft. A sturdy athlete at 6’1, 212 pounds, Bech does well making tough catches in traffic. Bech made waves as a freshman at LSU. He tallied 43 catches for 489 yards and 3 TDs, with the first two figures outproducing teammates Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Bech’s production dipped the following season, and coaching changes prompted a 2023 move to TCU. After a quiet debut, Bech’s production shot up to 62-1,034-9 as a 2024 senior. Primarily playing outside, he tallied nearly 17.0 yards per catch and a healthy 2.44 yards per route run. He had a 9.50 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) based on his predraft testing. He also ranked 25th among Combine WRs in 2024 Target Share at 19.3%, and ninth among those WRs in PFF Receiving Grade with an 83.1. He is currently 22 years old with a Breakout Age of 21.7. He ranked 11th among WRs in our Draft Sharks predraft Rookie Model scoring a 6.94. Our Comp for him in our Rookie Guide is Allen Robinson. There’s a chance he develops into a real-life WR2.
The Raiders selected Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Jeanty is the most complete RB prospect in recent memory. The 21-year-old dominated as a 2024 junior with 374 carries, 2,601 yards, and 29 TDs. As a sophomore, he enjoyed his best receiving season, catching 43 passes for 569 yards and 5 TDs. In ‘24, Jeanty earned several accolades, including the Doak Walker Award (for best RB) and the Maxwell Award (for most outstanding player). Plus, he finished second behind WR/CB Travis Hunter in Heisman voting. At nearly 5’9, 211 pounds, Jeanty runs with a rare blend of power, contact balance, and burst. He’s also one of the best pass-catching backs in this class, raising his fantasy ceiling. While Jeanty didn’t test at the NFL Combine, we have no doubts about his overall athleticism.
The Raiders and QB Geno Smith have agreed to a two-year, $85.5 million extension with $66.5 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports. That tacks on to the final year of Smith's current deal to keep him signed in Vegas through the 2027 season. Smith will be 37 when this contract expires.
RB Raheem Mostert is signing a one-year, $2.1 million deal with the Raiders, according to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. Mostert was cut by the Dolphins in February after averaging a career-low 3.3 yards per carry last season.
Seahawks QB Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third round pick. Raiders HC Pete Carroll coached Smith in Seattle, revitalizing Smith’s NFL career.
The Raiders have announced a new deal with S Isaiah Pola-Mao. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it's a to a two-year deal worth up to $8.45 million. That keeps Pola-Mao from becoming a restricted free agent in March.
The Dolphins will release RB Raheem Mostert, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. The move will save Miami a little over $3 million against the 2025 salary cap. Mostert averaged a career-worst 3.3 yards per carry last year and ranked 34th among 51 qualifying RBs in Pro Football Focus rushing grade. He turns 33 in April. Mostert is unlikely to be a fantasy factor in 2025 or beyond. He's cuttable from dynasty rosters.
NFL Network reports that Bengals LB Germaine Pratt has requested a trade. Pratt has spent six years with the Bengals, 5.5 of those as a full-time starter. He heads into the final year of his current deal and will turn 29 in May.
The Raiders hired Chip Kelly as their OC under new HC Pete Carroll. Kelly spent this past year as Ohio State's OC, helping the Buckeyes to a 17th-place finish in points. Kelly was UCLA's HC the previous six seasons, finishing with a 35-34 record. That followed four years as an NFL HC: three with the Eagles and one with the 49ers. Kelly's first two Eagles teams finished top five in both points and total yards. The QBs on those teams ranged from Michael Vick to Nick Foles to Mark Sanchez. RB LeSean McCoy put up monster numbers across those two seasons: 2,926 rushing yards, 694 receiving yards, and 16 total TDs. Philadelphia sunk to 12th in yards and 13th in points in Kelly's final season, after McCoy was traded to Buffalo and Sam Bradford took over at QB. Kelly's lone season in San Francisco was QB Colin Kaepernick's final campaign and ended with a 2-14 record. But even that season produced a career-best 4.6 yards per carry from RB Carlos Hyde. We're bullish on Kelly's impact on Vegas' running game, although it remains to be seen who will be running the ball in 2025. The Raiders are also likely in the market for a new QB. They hold the sixth overall pick of this spring's draft.
Former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll will return to coaching as the new Raiders HC. Carroll signed a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option.
The Raiders fired HC Antonio Pierce. He gave Vegas a spark after taking over midway through last season, going 5-4 over the final nine games. But Pierce flamed out in 2024, winning just four games. The Raiders ranked bottom six in points and total yards, with WR Jakobi Meyers and TE Brock Bowers the only reliable fantasy assets. We'll see who the Raiders tab to replace Pierce -- and what they do at QB. They hold the sixth overall pick of this spring's draft.
The Seahawks fired OC Ryan Grubb. This one catches us by surprise. Seattle finished 14th in total yards and 18th in points in Grubb's lone season at the helm. He was one of the pass-heavier play callers in the league, with the Seahawks ranking seventh in pass attempts and eighth in yards. QB Geno Smith completed 70.4% of his passes at 7.5 yards per attempt, and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out for a 100-1,130-6 receiving line. We'll see who defensive-minded HC Mike Macdonald tabs as his next OC.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers caught 5 of 9 targets for 61 yards and 1 score in Sunday's win over New Orleans. Meyers has now hit 55+ yards in five of his past six outings.
Commanders S Jeremy Chinn is active for today's game against the Eagles. I boosted his playing-time projection, which has moved him up the Week 16 DB rankings.
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