The Raiders made a series of offseason additions, but the move that changes the most for them starts on the sideline. Klint Kubiak is the biggest overall boost to an offense that was among the worst in the league last season, even if he can’t actually line up and catch passes or throw touchdowns.
That’s the catch with any coaching hire: the ideas matter, but execution still has to happen on the field. Las Vegas has brought in enough talent to help with that part, and among the free-agent additions, one name stands out above the rest.
Kirk Cousins could have been the honorable mention here because of what he brings to the quarterback position, but he isn’t even locked in to start the full season because of Fernando Mendoza. The player who has the chance to reshape the Raiders the most is Nakobe Dean.
Dean has already delivered on the biggest stages in his career, and his style fits what Las Vegas needs. He brings hard-hitting tackles, plenty of edge, and a presence that should immediately lift the linebacker room. His impact should show up every time the defense takes the field, and there’s even a chance he’s around beyond the three-year deal he signed.
On the other side of the ball, Tyler Linderbaum is another major pickup, and his arrival matters well beyond his size. He comes from Baltimore, where the Ravens were built around a dominant rushing attack, and the Raiders are hoping that same influence carries over to the Silver and Black.
Las Vegas had the worst offensive line on the team last season, and Linderbaum alone should push that group all the way to average. Just as important, he gives Mendoza a veteran center to work with for the foreseeable future.
That’s what puts Linderbaum at the top of the list. His value isn’t just about helping Ashton Jeanty or setting the tone up front. It’s about what he can do for Mendoza’s development, and that makes him the Raiders’ most impactful offseason signing.
In Other News...
Raiders Could Be Eyeing A Shocking Veteran Trade Next
The Raiders have spent the offseason trying to reshape the roster around a new quarterback plan, pairing the No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with Kirk Cousins as the veteran bridge and adding enough pieces in free agency to keep the depth chart fluid. Even after bringing back Eric Stokes, the front office still has a few movable parts as it continues sorting out which veterans fit the long-term picture and which ones could become trade candidates if the younger core starts to take over quickly.
Cousins is the name that keeps hovering over that conversation because his deal gives Las Vegas a big-name fallback without locking the team into a permanent answer at the position. If Mendoza pushes for the job sooner than expected, the Raiders could be forced to decide whether to keep the veteran insurance in place or use his value elsewhere, and that kind of flexibility is exactly why this roster feels like it could still change shape in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Already Have One Painful 2025 Roster Miss To Explain
The Raiders took a swing on a batch of undrafted free agents in 2025, hoping to uncover a few cheap roster wins the way every team does when it chases hidden depth after the draft. Instead, the class has become a reminder of how fragile those bets can be, with several of the more notable additions already gone and no longer part of the NFL picture.
Mello Dotson, Jah Joyner, Tank Booker and Jarrod Hufford all failed to stick, while other names from that group have drifted into alternative leagues or away from pro football altogether. For a team still trying to build reliable depth without spending much, the bigger concern is less about one player than the broader return on an entire class that has already thinned out so quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders UDFA Struggles Point To A Bigger Problem With Spytek
The Raiders 2025 undrafted free agent class was supposed to be a low-cost way to uncover help, but the early returns have been rough. Of the highest-paid UDFAs John Spytek brought in, only tight end Carter Runyon is still on the roster, a reminder that the team did find at least one player worth keeping around. For a front office trying to build depth and find value, the hit rate has been too thin to ignore.
The bigger issue may be less about the signings themselves than about what happened after the contracts were handed out. The pattern points to a possible disconnect between Spyteks talent evaluation and the coaching staffs willingness to invest time in unproven players, with Pete Carrolls preference for veterans he already trusted looming over the process. If the Raiders are going to make undrafted players matter, they may need a better alignment between who gets identified and who actually gets a real shot. [Read more 🡒]