Scott Gulbransen
The Raiders took care of some housekeeping this week, as they are reportedly bringing back defensive end Charles Snowden on an exclusive rights tender and putting a restricted free agent tender on guard/center Jordan Meredith. Ryan McFadden of ESPN was the first to report the signing.
Snowden has been one of the quiet success stories in Las Vegas despite being unheralded. An undrafted free agent, the Chicago Bears signed him off the street in 2021, cut him, and he bounced around before landing on the Raiders’ practice squad in late 2023. Two seasons later, he had carved out 31 games, 18 starts, 67 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one interception. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, he fits what Rob Leonard wants on the edge in his 3-4 scheme.
Meredith is also a nice depth piece in a system he already knows well. The Western Kentucky product can play guard or center, has started nine games for the Raiders over four seasons, and comes cheap on a standard tender. Depth pieces who snap multiple positions don’t get celebrated and aren’t going to have Raider Nation out ordering a new jersey, but they do get retained and that’s exactly what happened here.
Raiders John Spytek has had a busy spring rebuilding a 3-14 roster for new head coach Klint Kubiak. Those marquee signings include former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum, Kwiti Paye, and former Green Bay standout Quay Walker. The big moves get the attention these days, but a roster is 53 men, and these two signings reflect the quieter work happening behind the scenes as Las Vegas tries to build something sustainable rather than just serviceable.
