The Las Vegas Raiders seemed like they were making some decisions in the offseason that would finally get the franchise headed in the right direction. General manager John Spytek had an impressive resume before getting hired, Pete Carroll is a Super Bowl-winning head coach and Geno Smith was supposed to be a huge upgrade at quarterback.
Through seven games, the Raiders have looked even worse than last season. They are 2-5 and just got blown by the Kansas City Chiefs in a game where the offense didn’t surpass 100 yards of total offense. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell rated every team’s offseason and put the Raiders in the “way below expectations” category.
“What can we say? I was optimistic about the arrivals of Carroll and Smith to solidify the two most important jobs within the organization, but the early returns have been disappointing,” Barnwell wrote. “Smith has put the ball in danger too often and is in serious risk of being benched for Kenny Pickett with one or two more disappointing starts. It would be a surprise if he was back with the team in 2026, even given the fact that the Raiders owe him $18.5 million in guaranteed money next season.
“Carroll hasn’t been able to turn around the defense, either, though White has been a pleasant surprise at times for a player making close to the veteran minimum. Pratt lasted four games with the team before seemingly falling out with the organization and being released. Cappa was almost unplayable when filling in at guard. These aren’t franchise-sinking moves, but when you’re signing veterans to plug holes in your lineup or serve as depth guys and getting replacement-level play, you’re burning money and incurring the opportunity cost of not landing on a promising young player at the beginning of his career.”
Raiders Draft Class Not Making an Impact
The Raiders drafted 11 players in the 2025 NFL Draft, including first-round pick running back Ashton Jeanty. Outside of Jeanty, no rookies have been getting consistent work. Barnwell doesn’t understand the Raiders’ strategy when it comes to rookies.
“When I wrote about rookie running backs earlier this month, I tried to make it clear that I don’t pin much of Jeanty’s slow start on him,” Barnwell wrote. “At the same time, a team doesn’t draft a running back with the sixth pick unless it thinks he can be a transcendent player, and Jeanty has mostly been unable to overcome the offensive dysfunction in Las Vegas. Taking a running back that high in what was regarded as the deepest RB class in recent memory was always a curious choice, and Vegas’ other top-100 picks (wideout Jack Bech, cornerback Darien Porter and offensive linemen Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant) have yet to make an impact, too.”
Raiders Might Need to Shake Things Up
The Raiders are clearly not a playoff team. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue playing veteran players who aren’t performing at a high level. Cornerback Darien Porter needs to get on the field more.
Las Vegas should also consider players Rogers and Grant on the offensive line. The Raiders don’t have much to lose at this point.
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