The Raiders went into the 2026 offseason with more cap space than anyone else in the league, and they used it to try to speed up the rebuild. Instead, the early returns have been rough. Las Vegas made a clear push to fix the defense and patch a few glaring roster issues, but outside of linebacker Nakobe Dean, the expensive additions have done little to change the look of this team.
That was the idea, anyway. The Raiders targeted three problem areas with their spending: improving the offensive line, slowing down the run and finding steadier pressure off the edge.
Two weeks in, those fixes still feel more like theories than solutions. The free-agent class was supposed to give the roster some needed stability.
Right now, it is looking like a costly bet that is not paying off.
Kwity Paye is one of the biggest examples. Las Vegas gave the 2021 first-round pick a three-year, $48 million deal, expecting him to help the pass rush.
He has not been a dominant edge rusher at any point in his career, but this season has been even quieter than expected. His sacks have come largely on defensive line stunts, and Pro Football Focus has him at a 50.0 grade.
Paye is not hurting the defense, but he also is not giving the Raiders anything close to the production that contract suggests.
The same story is playing out along the offensive line with Tyler Linderbaum. The Raiders made him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman ever, but the running game has gone nowhere.
To be fair, not everything falls on Linderbaum. Ashton Jeanty is dealing with an ankle injury, and defenses are not exactly scared of the passing attack.
Even so, a contract that big is supposed to help lift a unit through those problems, and that has not happened. Las Vegas is averaging 82 rushing yards per game, which puts it in the bottom five in the league.
Then there is Malcolm Koonce, whose return to form has not come close to happening. After breaking through in 2023 with eight sacks, he suffered a knee injury in 2024 and has not looked like that player again.
The Raiders took another swing on his upside this offseason, and so far they have missed twice in two years. He still has room to grow, but the present-day outlook is not encouraging.
That leaves Las Vegas in a familiar spot: rebuilding, but still trying to buy its way forward with premium cap space. The problem is that many of the roster’s best players are still on rookie contracts, and the expensive veteran additions have not delivered the boost the team needed. So far, the free-agent gamble is backfiring.
In Other News...
Raiders Backfield Suddenly Has One Rising Option Fans Need To Watch
The Raiders have been searching for stability in a backfield that has been thinned by injuries and stuck near the bottom of the league in rushing production, and Dylan Laube has started to carve out a useful niche. Klint Kubiak has singled out the second-year back for his pass protection, reliability on third downs and work on special teams, which is the kind of profile that keeps a player on the field even when the ground game itself is sputtering.
Laube also got on the board in the recent loss to New England, a small but meaningful sign that his role is becoming more visible as Las Vegas looks for dependable answers in key situations. For a team still trying to sort out its backfield rotation, his usage in passing situations is the clearest thread to watch, especially if the Raiders keep leaning on him as an all-around steady hand. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Rookies Just Sent Some Very Different Week 5 Messages
Week 5 was a rough one for the rookie class around the Raiders, with the group fragmented before the game even settled in against New England. Keyron Crawford landed on injured reserve, Trey Zuhn was ruled out with a knee injury and Dalton Johnson was a healthy scratch, leaving the team to piece together contributions from the first-year players who were available.
The rookies who did get on the field produced a mixed review, which only added to the sense that this was a week of uneven messages from the young core. Some showed enough to encourage the staff moving forward, while others were left trying to recover from moments that swung the game in the Patriots favor, a reminder that for this roster, development and damage can show up on the same afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have A Kirk Cousins Decision Fans Can't Ignore
Fernando Mendozas brief appearance in a recent Raiders game was enough to remind everyone why his name has been circulating so heavily. The arm strength and mobility were on display in a way that fits the kind of ceiling that can push a quarterback into the No. 1 overall conversation, even if his time on the field was limited. For a team that has spent plenty of time thinking about its present and future at the position, it was the kind of cameo that naturally sharpened the focus.
For now, though, the Raiders quarterback picture is still being shaped by the chase for a postseason spot, and Kirk Cousins remains the center of it. Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter has said the team is unlikely to make a change under center anytime soon because it is still in playoff contention, but the situation could shift fast if the market opens before the November 10 trade deadline. If a playoff team suddenly needs a starter, Cousins may become one of the names to watch. [Read more 🡒]