One of the first moves general manager John Spytek made after getting hired by the Las Vegas Raiders was signing veteran offensive lineman Alex Cappa. The two had previously worked together on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cappa was a key starter on the team that won a Super Bowl in 2020, which he helped leverage into a big contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, but ended up getting cut with a year left on his deal due to poor play.
The Raiders landed him on a two-year, $11 million contract, which isn’t big money, but it’s likely starter money. However, not everybody is buying that he’ll be able to resurrect his career in Las Vegas.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report predicted that Cappa will be the Raiders’ biggest bust this season.
“The Las Vegas Raiders are set to lean on new quarterback Geno Smith and rookie first-round running back Ashton Jeanty in 2025. Both players will need a reliable offensive line to succeed, however, and free-agent addition Alex Cappa looms as a potential weak link along that line,” Knox wrote.
“Cappa’s two-year, $11 million contract isn’t egregious, but he’s still likely to underwhelm more than a few Raiders fans this season. Though it’s worth noting that he was on a bad Bengals offensive line last season, Cappa was ranked just 111th overall among guards by Pro Football Focus. … It won’t be a total surprise to see Cappa backing up rookie third-round pick Caleb Rogers by midseason.”
Cappa Thinks Raiders Have Versatile OL
The Raiders can get off of Cappa’s contract easily after this season if he doesn’t play well. He should be highly motivated to turn things around.
Spytek knows him well and clearly trusts him. The offensive line could be the key to the offense this season, and Cappa thinks they have a versatile group.
“It’s a versatile offense,” Cappa told reporters previously. “At the beginning, that’s kind of hard — just learning it all. … We put everything in right away. Right away, we had a full offense going. And the way he calls it is a little different than other people. But it’s dynamic, for sure. Once you understand it, it allows you to operate at a high level.”
Raiders Have 18th-Ranked OL: PFF
The Raiders didn’t have the worst offensive line in the NFL last season, but there was a lot of room for improvement. Cappa is the only signifacnt addition they made, so they’re relying on young players from last season to take a leap.
Ahead of the season, Pro Football Focus has the Raiders as the 18th-best offensive line in the NFL.
“Following a slow start to his season during which he allowed multiple sacks, Kolton Miller showed in 2024 once again that he brings excellent pass-blocking chops at left tackle,” Buday wrote. “His 82.2 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 11th among all offensive tackles.
“Dylan Parham enjoyed a breakout season at left guard, posting a 17th-ranked 74.3 PFF overall grade. Right tackle DJ Glaze and center Jackson Powers-Johnson showed promising signs as rookies, but they need to take a step forward for the Raiders’ offensive line to be considered above average.”
