There hasn’t been much to be excited about as a Raiders fan in 2025, and considering how many needs are on the roster going into 2026, there is reason to believe it could be another year or two before the team is competitive again.
With no franchise quarterback on the roster and no offensive line to protect that quarterback when they get one, the Raiders have some difficult decisions coming in free agency and the draft.
Should they build the offensive line and address the quarterback position down the road, or should they draft a quarterback like Fernando Mendoza and figure out the offensive line after that?
That’s the dilemma Tom Brady and GM John Spytek will face in the offseason, but a couple of developments in the second half of the season might make the decision a little easier.
Third-round picks Caleb Rogers and Charles Grant were an afterthought for much of the season, but Rogers has played well in the second half of the season (in a little more than 200 snaps) and Grant finally got on the field in week 17 against the Giants.
Grant only played seven snaps against the Giants, but his film in those reps were among the best the team has witnessed all season.
Unfortunately for the rookies, the sample size has been small, but if Rogers and Grant can be counted on in 2026, the Raiders might only need to add one starter to their offensive line in the offseason.
In theory, signing a free agent center like Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum would allow for a starting lineup in 2026 that features Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Rogers, Grant and Linderbaum – and that would be a lineup with legitimate upside.
If the offensive line isn’t in crisis going into the draft, a quarterback pick like Mendoza or Dante Moore in round one makes a lot more sense – especially considering there doesn’t appear to be a generational offensive lineman in this year’s draft.
It’s going to be a challenging offseason for the Raiders beginning in a few days (beginning with the anticipated firing of Pete Carroll), but if there is hope already in the building for the offensive line, that would be huge news for a position group that has been probably the worst on the team over the last three months.
x: @raidersbeat
If Grant hits, and i believe Porter will, then I’ll have a little more faith in Spytek. Especially considering he didn’t want to take Jeanty that early. But still Brady needs to stay away.
Jeanty is the best player in his draft. There’s nothing wrong with that pick.
Yes, there is.
When you have other more pressing needs and your paying home more than every other back to give you little to no productivity it WAS the wrong pick.
Little to no productivity? He has 10 touchdowns playing with 5 parking cones for an offensive line.
Absolutely not! They already have a good Center on the roster who they keep playing at Guard. He has stated since he was drafted that he is a CENTER! JPJ NEEDS TO BE AT CENTER! Sign a Guard instead…the Raiders can’t keep screwing things up and expect positive results
Trade back and accumulate picks. Rebuild both lines up front.
In two seasons with top shelf coaching both lines should provide us with years of stability if the picks were studied well and injuries don’t take anyone out long term.
Anyone that thinks Mendoza or Moore are going to be top shelf Q’s any time soon is delusional. Wasting a top three pick on either is pure lunacy.
Cannot waste another top ten pick on a reach. (Jeanty is the second highest paid RB NOW) absurdity
Clearly you don’t know what you’re talking about. Ashton…with one of the worst ever lines…has more yards from scrimmage than any rookie in this class(over 1,200 yards+10 TDs). Where is the lack of production you claim there to be?
Making a rookie RB the second highest paid at an exorbitantly high contract for the position when you could’ve turned that pick into four picks trading back twice to rebuild something you don’t have still is a bad pick.
Productivity was a poor addition to what I said. It was a terrible pick.
Yes, they need to address the O line first. Mendoza on this team would get killed. Trade the first pick, trade Maxx, trade Kolton Miller. Acquire many picks and start really building a team.
This losing season IS the best thing that could have possibly have happened to this team. NOW, a full scale reshaping must take place. So, let’s start with quarterback depth. My suggestions; go get Joshua Dobbs as the second string quarterback. He’s younger and more mobile than Geno and extremely battle tested. Next, go get Malik Willis as the starting quarterback. He’s young, mobile, plenty of upside and deserving of a starting role. Lastly, at the quarterback position, draft a young, mobile man with potential, who IS NOT under pressure to start right away. These moves will give the Raiders quarterback room plenty of experience, depth and longevity.
Next, the offensive line should be the priority. LOAD and I mean LOAD up on young bucks. Trade Kolton Miller for whatever they can get for him and start to heed Al Davis’ own edict; The greatness of the Raiders IS their future. After securing quarterback depth, NOTHING is more important than quarterback protection. Even current Raiders management can no longer ignore this. It’s all about priorities and anyone who saw last years Super Bowl knows that a substandard offensive line is what kept the Kansas City Chiefs from winning another Super Bowl.
THIS YEAR, those SHOULD BE the Raiders TOP TWO priorities. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the revitalization of this franchise won’t happen in one offseason either. Anyone who believes otherwise is delusional and only has to look at the past 10 years of the Raiders management teams attempts at quick fixes. It’s an old adage but it still rings true; slow and steady wins the race.
Additionally, get a couple of fullbacks who are tightend body types and USE them. In the past, Gruden almost killed Josh Jacobs through overuse. Don’t let that same thing happen to Ashton Genty. Learn from other’s past mistakes. On third and short, employ some common sense and fight bulk with bulk instead of killing your top flight runningback. It’s called THINKING. A bruising runningback in a tightend’s body is what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had in Mike Alstott, the San Francisco 49ers had in Tom Rathman, The Miami Dolphins had in Jim Kick. the Kansas City Chiefs had in Christian Okoye and the Dallas Cowboys had in Moose Johnston. Emulate tried, trusted, proven and successful practices.
One of the things that EVERY Raiders fan loved about Al Davis was the he WAS NOT passive. Al said that he wanted to dictate to other teams what the Raiders were going to do to them and NOT the other way around. Sadly, in my opinion, past Raiders coaches WERE NOT visionaries who knew how to dictate the narrative. THAT was what the Raiders did under Al Davis’ leadership. Not this passive, soft type of football that we see today. Instead of sucking up to keep their jobs and income, Raiders coaches need to buck up and push the envelope. That’s what Al did and while his flame remains the spirit of what he stood for has been lost. Al Davis said that he wanted to dominate, not just squeek by.
I’ve been a Raiders fan since 1968 and I remember a team that was hated by ALL and the envy of ALL other football teams and the GOLD standard that ALL OTHER football teams aspired to, with the possible exception of the Vince Lombardi lead Green Bay Packers. In my opinion, today’s coaches are soft and certainly don’t know how to control the narrative. John Madden said that he didn’t have a lot of rules but the ONE RULE that he did have was; “…play like Hell on Sunday.” Surely, THAT is MISSING from today’s Raiders with the notable exception of Maxx Crosby.
Al burnt down everything he built.
And Crosby far too often free lances and doesn’t maintain gap responsibilities.
Al in the beginning was a trend setter. But he failed to evolve. And when he gained majority ownership the wheels fell off the wagon.
Well if you address the o-line in the draft this year, who are you going to have as qb? Aiden O’Connell is not the answer. Cam Miller would be the only choice. Than next year you will have to trade away the next 3yrs 1st rd picks plus a second and third for your franchise qb. The raiders will only win about 4-6 games next year, so they will draft around 6-10. That’s why they will have to trade all those picks to trade up.
Try looking up how many franchise Q’s that lasted more than 5 years were chosen in the first round compared to other rounds.
Enlighten yourself.
A good OL affords you any average Q will have success. Manage the game. Don’t turn the ball over.