The Las Vegas Raiders made one of the biggest trades they've made in the past couple of seasons by trading for Geno Smith to become their starting quarterback. He has the highest floor of any quarterback they've fielded out since Derek Carr, and they're hoping he'll have another career resurgence in the Silver and Black.
This individual move doesn't take this roster and turn them into contenders, but combined with all of the personnel shifts and talent they've added in free agency and the draft, makes them one of the most improved teams in the NFL.
Still, they are a few moves away from truly becoming contenders, and it doesn't help that their division is one of the hardest in the league. The AFC West is one of the few divisions in football that has gotten better every year, and 2025 looks like a challenging year for each team.
If the Raiders want to avoid coming in last place again, there are moves that can still be made to make them even more competitive in 2025. Cody Benjamin, sports writer for CBS Sports, thinks the Raiders make the most sense for a trade for Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins.
"Just one year after landing a $74 million extension from the Miami Dolphins, Ramsey is fully anticipating a breakup as his AFC East squad rebuilds its defense. The seven-time Pro Bowler will likely fetch little more than a mid- to late-round draft pick in a trade given his age (30) and financial demands, but his wealth of both experience and attitude will convince someone to slot him in as a 'missing piece' for 2025", said Benjamin.
The Raiders have the money to bring him in, the question then becomes if Ramsey would be interested in playing for the Raiders. They aren't close to winning a Super Bowl, and this would be one of, if not the last, teams Ramsey would play for in his career.
"A reunion with the Los Angeles Rams makes the most sense from a title-chasing perspective, but if it's compensation that ultimately seals the deal here, a move to Sin City feels right up Ramsey's alley; the Las Vegas Raiders are flush with salary cap space, and coach Pete Carroll is all about physical defense".
A 2026 fifth-round pick is what Benjamin thinks Ramsey will be traded for, but I doubt that the Dolphins would let him go for that little. Either way, Ramsey fits in perfectly with the culture the Raiders are trying to establish, and if the price is right, he fills in a need for them and makes them even more dangerous.
