The Raiders’ biggest edge this season might not be the names everyone knows.
Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer will draw the spotlight in Klint Kubiak’s offense, and that makes sense. But the deeper story in Las Vegas is the way John Spytek has filled out the roster behind the headliners, especially at tight end. That’s where the Raiders may have built a real advantage: enough usable pieces to let Kubiak get creative without telegraphing what’s coming.
Kubiak has made no secret of what he likes. Twelve personnel is his base, with one back and two tight ends.
But the Raiders can also lean into 13 and 23 personnel, putting three tight ends on the field and moving them around in ways that don’t automatically tip run or pass. That kind of flexibility only works if the depth is legitimate.
In Las Vegas, it might be.
Ian Thomas is a good place to start. His one-year, $1.6 million deal in March barely registered, but it could end up looking like one of the better bargains on the roster.
He started 10 of 15 games last season, played 318 snaps and caught 13 passes. More importantly for this offense, he can block and he can catch, which gives Kubiak another piece who can stay on the field without giving away the play.
Carter Runyon is another name worth tracking. The undrafted Towson product logged just 45 offensive snaps as a rookie, but the traits were there: speed, vertical ability and the look of a receiving tight end rather than a blocker who occasionally leaks out.
His stat line - one catch for three yards - doesn’t say much. The way he moves does.
Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. adds a different kind of intrigue. His 4.49 40-yard dash time stands out in a room that already includes Bowers, and that kind of vertical threat matters.
The obvious issue is availability, since he’s played one game in the last two seasons. Still, a tight end who can threaten a defense down the field is a useful card to keep in the deck.
Patrick Gurd is more of a long shot, but he has a path. The undrafted rookie looks more like a lead blocker, and his ability to line up inline or in the backfield gives him a shot if the special teams work is strong enough to carry him onto the roster.
The most interesting name in the group may be Connor Heyward.
Signed as a fullback, Heyward could end up being more valuable as a tight end or H-back. He can move across the formation and make linebackers pause, unsure whether to follow him or stay home against the run.
He caught 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown as a Steelers rookie in 2022, and he also logged 290 special teams snaps last season, nearly twice Thomas’ total. That combination makes him look like the real TE3.
The same kind of depth shows up at linebacker, where Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean arrived with big free-agent contracts and gave the Raiders a Georgia reunion they hope can matter in the AFC West. Dean’s injury history makes the backup plan essential, and Cody Lindenberg may already be that answer.
The seventh-round rookie didn’t play a defensive snap last season, but he led the team in preseason run stops, according to Pro Football Focus, and added seven special teams tackles during the regular season. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has called him a sponge. A former college captain who processes the game like a coach, Lindenberg has the feel of a hidden piece that can make a defense tougher to deal with.
Training camp will settle the roster battles. But the Raiders may already have something that matters just as much: depth that can survive the season and keep the offense and defense flexible when the games start to pile up.
In Other News...
Ravens Just Dragged Raiders Back Into The Tyler Linderbaum Drama
Baltimore is moving quickly to shore up the middle of its offensive line after Tyler Linderbaum left for Las Vegas in free agency, turning to veteran center Ethan Pocic on a one-year deal. The move gives the Ravens an experienced option at a spot that suddenly needed one, and it comes with a little extra intrigue because Pocic is still working back from an Achilles tendon tear suffered in December.
Even with that recovery timeline, Pocic is expected to be part of training camp, pending the final physical, which makes this a calculated bet rather than a simple stopgap. It also fits into a broader offseason pattern for Baltimore, which has already shown it is willing to pivot after missing on Maxx Crosby and landing Trey Hendrickson instead, leaving the Linderbaum ripple effect very much alive for the Raiders to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Another Raiders Line Gamble Just Turned Into A Much Bigger Problem
The Raiders brought in Alex Cappa last year hoping a veteran blocker could stabilize a line that needed help, but the fit never really took hold. He bounced between spots, never locked down a consistent starting job and struggled to find much traction as injuries and lineup changes forced him into different roles.
Now, with training camps approaching, Cappa is already off the roster and still looking for his next opportunity. His recent tape has drawn poor marks, and the conversation around him has shifted from what position he might hold for Las Vegas to whether there is still a place for him anywhere in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Made A Massive Bet To Fix Their Biggest Problem
The Raiders spent the offseason trying to clean up the mess that has lingered around their offensive line, and the move to bring in Tyler Linderbaum was the clearest sign they were done treating it like a secondary issue. After years of shuffling pieces and searching for stability up front, Las Vegas made the center position a priority and expects Linderbaum to be the kind of anchor that changes how the entire offense functions.
Klint Kubiak has already pointed to the value Linderbaum brings beyond the snap itself, noting the way he handles line calls, protection checks and the leadership work that happens when coaches are not in the room. The Raiders are betting on more than just talent here, because if Linderbaum settles in the way they think he can, he could quickly become one of the most important players on the roster. [Read more 🡒]