After two days of legal tampering, the new NFL league year officially started on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, though the Las Vegas Raiders have been quiet since they agreed to terms with defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and quarterback Gardner Minshew on Monday.
On Wednesday, the Raiders made bigger headlines with notable cuts rather than their lone acquisition. They parted ways with Jimmy Garoppolo and Hunter Renfrow and officially released Brian Hoyer and Jerry Tillery. They signed tight end Harrison Bryant.
The Raiders can still fill voids at right tackle, right guard, running back, cornerback, and possibly add some competition at safety by signing a handful of quality available free agents.
Perhaps general manager Tom Telesco has another splashy acquisition in mind, and we’ll look at some of the players available to fill the team’s needs.
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Cornerback Kendall Fuller
The Raiders shouldn’t overspend on any of the available cornerbacks in a watered-down market.
Tom Telesco may sign a familiar face in Michael Davis. Davis entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and worked his way up the Los Angeles Chargers depth chart to become a starter in his second season.
Telesco can also consider Kendall Fuller, who has experience playing on the boundary and in the slot within a mix of man and zone-heavy coverage schemes over the last four years with the Washington Commanders.
Up until the Commanders’ defense completely collapsed last season, Fuller showed consistency in coverage, mostly on the boundary. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a passer rating of 90.1 or lower every year between 2020 and 2022.
At 29 years old, coming off a down year in part because of the lack of defensive talent around him, Fuller may command a short-term deal worth about $7-8 million per year.
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Offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas
Cornelius Lucas is an under-the-radar free-agent option, though he has a connection with Raiders passing game coordinator Scott Turner.
While Turner served as the Commanders’ passing game coordinator between 2020 and 2022, Lucas started in 27 out of 45 contests and had a fairly decent showing in that stretch.
In 2020, Lucas lined up at left tackle and then moved to the right side for the 2021 and 2022 terms. During that period, he only drew five penalties and allowed seven sacks while on the field for 1,794 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
The Raiders can prepare Thayer Munford Jr. to battle a rookie for the starting right tackle spot, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a low-cost veteran who can also play both sides of the line and has familiarity with an offensive assistant on staff.
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Right guard Kevin Zeitler
As of Thursday, Las Vegas hasn’t re-signed right guard Greg Van Roten, so the club may be weighing its free-agent options or considering the draft for a top prospect.
Like Van Roten last year, Kevin Zeitler could be a short-term solution at right guard.
For 12 NFL seasons, playing with the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Baltimore Ravens, Zeitler has been a quality guard and an exceptional pass-blocker. And 34 years old, he’s still one of the better guards across the league.
Per Pro Football Focus, Zeitler hasn’t allowed more than two sacks while on the field for at least 955 snaps in each of the last four years. In other words, he’s aged well. Zeitler would be a solid pass protector for whoever starts at quarterback for the Raiders next season.
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Running back A.J. Dillon
The Raiders won’t retain Josh Jacobs, who, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, reached a team-friendly agreement with the Green Bay Packers.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders feel confident in Zamir White and will “likely” draft a running back. With that said, while at the NFL Scouting Combine, Tom Telesco talked about putting together a backfield committee.
In Los Angeles, Telesco struggled to find a No. 2 tailback to spell Austin Ekeler, so he should lean heavily on offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s input since he’s calling the offense.
Understandably, White and AJ Dillon as a tandem seems redundant, but Getsy had a couple of downhill running backs in Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman last year in Chicago.
Moreover, Getsy was the Green Bay Packers’ passing game coordinator when the team selected Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft.
While Getsy served as the Packers’ passing game coordinator, Dillon hauled in 62 of his 80 targets for 519 yards and two touchdowns. He could see more pass-catching opportunities in Las Vegas as White’s running mate.
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Safety Julian Blackmon
Typically, safeties are undervalued on the open market, so teams can sign high-end players at the position on modest deals for great value.
The Raiders don’t have a concerning need at safety, though they can find an upgrade over Marcus Epps, who has one year left on his contract.
In 2023, with the Indianapolis Colts, Julian Blackmon had his best season, logging 88 tackles, five for loss, four interceptions, and eight pass breakups, all career highs. He also allowed a stingy 57.5 passer rating in coverage as a versatile defensive back who lined up in the box (468 snaps), in deep zone coverage (308 snaps), and in the slot (175), per Pro Football Focus.
At 25 years old, Blackmon proved that he can be a playmaking chess piece in the secondary and may have more room for growth.
Maurice Moton covers the Las Vegas Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
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