]For the most part, the Las Vegas Raiders have garnered significant praise throughout the offseason for their moves so far.
With the massive extension to superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby and the trade for quarterback Geno Smith, new general manager John Spytek got the two major storylines of the offseason done early for the Raiders. Since then, Spytek has done well to shore up the depth at key positions, ensuring injuries will not wreak as much havoc as they did last season. The strategy gives the Raiders freedom to attack April’s draft any way they choose, which is a far cry from a month ago.
“Trading for Geno Smith gave them a competent veteran starting quarterback who doesn’t have to be the franchise guy forever and could even be a mentor if they take another quarterback in this year’s draft,” wrote The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke, who gave the Raiders a B grade for their moves so far. “Meanwhile, extending Maxx Crosby while signing solid free agents like Alex Cappa and Jeremy Chinn gives them solid depth pieces that don’t break the bank.”
However, one analyst does have a warranted point of concern for the Raiders.
Could the Raiders suffer from too much roster turnover?
ESPN analyst Ben Solak brought up an interesting note, saying that the Raiders defense might struggle early as it tries to replace several significant pieces.
“I can talk myself into a lot of the Raiders’ defensive personnel shifts in a vacuum,” wrote Solak. “I like [Elandon] Roberts as a cheap replacement for [Robert] Spillane. [Tre’Von] Moehrig is a solid player, but they didn’t need to pay him $17 million per year like the Panthers will. The light bulb might be coming on for Chinn. It’s the total weight of the lost snaps that worries me.”
While the Raiders have done well to add pieces without overpaying, Solak’s point does have quite a bit of merit.
Along with the aforementioned Spillane and Moehrig, the Raiders have also lost slot cornerback Nate Hobbs, edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson and linebacker Divine Deablo during free agency. All told, those five combine for just under 4,000 collective defensive snaps that Spytek had to replace. That is without including safety Marcus Epps, who adds a little over 1,000 more snaps to replace from his last healthy season in 2023.
Needless to say, the Raiders’ defense is going to look almost completely different from 2024.
Spytek did a great job of filling in gaps as they came along, but it is fair to question just how quickly the new-look defense can build chemistry. Having most of the defensive line back should help, but most of the group behind them will consist of brand-new faces. Developing communication in order to avoid costly breakdowns will be a crucial element during the offseason program, as well as preseason.
The Raiders have made good moves so far this offseason, but they are only as good as how they perform on the field.
