The Las Vegas Raiders have been very active this off-season, and free agency hasn't officially started yet. Free agency is set to kick off when the new league year kicks off this week, and man, it's going to be crazy.
When you factor in the Raiders' many resources this offseason, we could all have predicted how active they would be. However, what they have already done is pretty remarkable. They signed Maxx Crosby to a new extension and traded for their quarterback of the future, Geno Smith, the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback.
They still have work to do, though. The Raiders have many positional needs, whether starter-level or depth guys. They Also have some unrestricted free agents that they would like to bring back. Of course, we are all waiting and hoping for the Tre'Von Mowhrig deal to be done, but they want to bring back more than just that.
That seems to be the NFL trend this offseason -- bringing back players from last season. Every team is doing it, and the Raiders just did it, too, following an obvious trend that seems to be the right thing to do.
Raiders expected to re-sign defensive tackle Adam Butler
Adam Butler had a strong 2024 season with the Raiders. In his second year with them, he played all 17 games, starting five, and stepped up after star Christian Wilkins got injured. Butler finished with a career-high 65 tackles, including 35 solo, ranking fifth on the team behind linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo and some of the team's defensive backs as well. He was solid against the run and helped the defensive line hold up during a tough 4-13 season.
Butler also made a big impact rushing the passer, tying his career high with 5.0 sacks, plus eight tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. He added two pass deflections and a forced fumble, with 3.5 of his sacks coming in the last five weeks when he really turned it on. His five sacks were second on the team, behind only Crosby.
At 30, Butler brought energy and leadership to the defense. Now, he's back on a three-year deal worth $16.5 million with $11 million guaranteed. Honestly, this is a great deal for the Raiders, and they mark defensive tackle depth or starting level, off their list. Now they need the opposite of whatever role Butler will play.
This was a huge signing to helping them get to the same level, eventually, of teams in their division like the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
