The Las Vegas Raiders had a lot of positions to address in free agency this offseason and the organization has spent big to fix its roster holes.
The Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with a ton of salary cap space and a lot of roster upgrades to make.
The biggest one being at quarterback, but that will be solved by selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 National Football League draft. Besides that, most other positions needed to be addressed by spending money in free agency and the Raiders did just that.
Las Vegas desperately needed to find upgrades on its offensive line. Left tackle Kolton Miller was the only offensive lineman who pulled his weight on that unit, a unit that was graded as the worst in 2025 by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Addressing the offensive line was easily the biggest free agency goal headed into the first week of free agency and it’s safe to say Las Vegas took a swing for the fences.
The Raiders signed the best center available and made him the highest-paid at the position by $9 million, inking former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum to a three-year, $81 million deal with $60 million fully guaranteed. Not only did the Raiders add the top center, but the organization also notably brought in two great linebackers to transform the defense that allowed the eighth-most points per game in 2025 (25.4).
Las Vegas signed former Green Bay Packers LB Quay Walker to a three-year, $40.5 million contract with $28 million in guarantees as well as former Philadelphia Eagles LB Nakobe Dean to a three-year, $36 million deal with $20 million guaranteed.
“Having Linderbaum is a major asset for potential No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza,” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote Wednesday. “On top of that, he drastically improves the Raiders' run blocking, opening the door for Ashton Jeanty to leap in Year 2. The addition of Dean, and Walker's effectiveness at rushing the quarterback, should allow new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard to get creative in his blitz packages.”
Las Vegas was busy during the first week of free agency and signed way more players, but these three are the biggest game-changers brought in by general manager John Spytek.
Besides getting paid lots of money, some may be thinking about why anybody would want to join the 3-14 Raiders. That’s because the new leadership regime, headlined by GM Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak, have already gained the reputation of “being the right people.”
Walker spoke for all of his new teammates by saying they strongly believe in the direction that Las Vegas is heading in, according to McFadden.
“I just think they got the right people here, especially with the staff, and I just truly believe in what [Spytek] is trying to accomplish here,” Walker said. “…I just think we can actually get this thing turned around.”
Those words carry a lot of weight for future free agents, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the Raiders are a premier landing spot in the coming years. Las Vegas is on its way back to being a competitive franchise.