Sam Robinson | Pro Football Rumors

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

By Sam Robinson | at July 5, 2025 10:57 pm

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989^[1]
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991^[2]
Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010^[3]; signed extension in 2022
Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016^[4]
John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

22 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Extension Candidate: Zach Allen

By Sam Robinson | at July 5, 2025 10:01 pm

A central reason the Broncos were able to make the playoffs despite the record-shattering Russell Wilson dead money bill, Zach Allen has played his best football since relocating to Denver in 2023. The short-term J.J. Watt Cardinals sidekick has been one of the NFL’s most disruptive interior D-linemen in two Broncos seasons.

Allen signed a three-year, $45.75MM contract on Day 1 of the 2023 legal tampering period, following Ben Powers and Mike McGlinchey as part of Sean Payton‘s aggressive transactional start to his Broncos tenure. While McGlinchey and Powers are respectively on five- and four-year deals, Allen is in a contract year. The former Cardinals third-round pick, who entered the NFL in Vance Joseph‘s first Arizona offseason, resides in a good position to cash in.

Allen recorded a whopping 40 QB hits last season; that not only led the NFL in 2024, it ranks near the top among modern pass-rushing seasons. Throughout the 2020s, only Nick Bosa‘s 2022 (48) and T.J. Watt‘s 2020 (41) delivered more QB hits than Allen’s 2024 brought. Even if the range is moved to cover the past 10 seasons, Allen’s 2024 showing still ranks eighth (J.J. Watt‘s peak was quite good). Allen also tallied 47 QB pressures last season; only Trey Hendrickson (54) produced more at any position.

A spring report pointed to Allen and Nik Bonitto being higher Broncos extension priorities compared to Courtland Sutton, who has been waiting for a deal longer. This is Bonitto’s first offseason of extension eligibility. Having spent his entire career in Joseph’s scheme, Allen represents a fairly safe bet for the Broncos. Going into only his age-28 season also represents a plus here, whereas Sutton will turn 30 in October. Allen has also expressed interest in a Broncos extension.

It can be argued Allen’s presence catalyzed Bonitto’s breakout. Both players zoomed to second-team All-Pro status, as Bonitto broke through for 13.5 sacks. Allen’s 8.5-sack total does not jump out as much, even with a Week 1 safety also landing on his resume, though Bonitto’s pressure numbers (36 to go with 24 hits) were not on the interior rusher’s level. Bonitto heading into his age-26 season will help his cause, but the Broncos also have the franchise tag to use in 2026.

Wilson’s punitive dead money penalty ending in 2025 would free up a tag slot for next year, and Bo Nix must remain on a rookie contract through at least 2026. Denver has John Franklin-Myers as a more affordable extension option in a contract year, and the team traded up for 3-4 DE Sai’Vion Jones in Round 3. It would seem unlikely, though, that the franchise — one set to rely on a top-tier defense once again — would chance moving on from Allen after one contract given his recent form and experience under Joseph.

The Broncos will be looking at a sizable raise here, as the defensive tackle market has moved twice since Allen’s March 2023 accord. As a second tier formed behind Aaron Donald‘s outlier deal in the spring and summer of 2023, four players (Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams) scored extensions between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. Chris Jones then used Donald’s deal as a springboard to gouge the Chiefs two days before the 2024 tampering period. Jones lifted the DT spot’s ceiling to $31.75MM per year and $60MM guaranteed at signing. Capitalizing on a Jones-less market, Christian Wilkins landed $27.5MM per year and $57MM at signing from the Raiders in 2024.

This year, Milton Williams became the NFL’s third-highest-paid interior D-lineman by commanding $26MM per year and $51MM at signing from the Patriots. Williams is nearly two years younger than Allen, but the ex-Eagle has not produced a season on the latter’s level. Even Allen’s 2023 featured 24 QB hits and 27 pressures. He has never been a sack maven, having tallied more than 5.5 just once. Williams’ next 5.5-sack season will be his first, however, while Wilkins and Nnamdi Madubuike each delivered outlier sack seasons in their 2023 contract years. Wilkins was also 28 when he signed his big-ticket Las Vegas deal.

Hitting free agency helped Wilkins and Milton Williams, and Allen could certainly bet on himself and do well in 2026. (Though, he will be negotiating ahead of an age-29 season in that scenario.) The Broncos will undoubtedly work to prevent that from happening, but even as the seventh-year vet can only negotiate with one team for the time being, that Payne-Lawrence-Simmons-Quinnen Williams tier should be a reasonable floor.

That is a steep hike from $15.25MM AAV, but the salary cap has ballooned from $224.8MM to $279.2MM since those 2023 extensions commenced. Allen’s camp will likely cite the Wilkins and Milton Williams deals as comps, making the previous DT second tier a logical compromise.

The Broncos extended four players — Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain, Jonathon Cooper and Garett Bolles — between July 16 and December 12 last year. GM George Paton also paid Sutton in-season back in 2021, and a potential in-season Bonitto payday could be on track. The Broncos will surely ramp up discussions with their top two front-seven pieces before Week 1. Carrying a high-pressure/modest-sack resume, Allen’s negotiations will be a key storyline to follow as the Broncos attempt to firmly establish themselves as contenders after last season’s surprising playoff trek.

1 comment Denver Broncos Extension Candidate PFR Originals Zach Allen

Bills’ Draft Board Not Aligning At WR Led To Elijah Moore Signing

By Sam Robinson | at July 5, 2025 12:02 pm

The Bills took some criticism after waiting until Round 7 to draft a wide receiver. One such instance prompted Brandon Beane to address the matter in a radio interview. But the ninth-year Buffalo GM did have the position on his radar during the draft.

Although the Bills gave Josh Palmer a three-year, $29MM deal in free agency, they were in on receivers during the draft. The team’s haul included a pick at the position — No. 240 overall pick Kaden Prather (Maryland) — but it certainly sounds like an earlier add was strongly considered. The team felt it needed to make a post-draft move to address the position.

Signing Elijah Moore after the draft, the Bills added a player who is likely a fifth roster lock at the position. But Moore’s fully guaranteed $2.5MM contract came about because the team’s draft board did not align with its receiver interests, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia notes.

It is not as though the Bills lack young talent at receiver; they drafted Keon Coleman 33rd overall last year. Coleman, 22, joins three second-contract players — Palmer, Moore, Khalil Shakir — and third-contract veteran Curtis Samuel at the receiver position in Buffalo. The Bills will not lack for experience at the position this season, effectively swapping out Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins for Palmer and Moore. Hollins signed with the Patriots in March; Cooper remains in free agency.

Stefon Diggs was a crucial part of Josh Allen‘s progression from a raw but ultra-talented prospect into perennial MVP candidate. The reigning MVP enjoying the season he did without Diggs certainly bodes well for the Bills’ latest receiver cast, though the team still likely will need Coleman to take a step forward. Moore and Palmer have proven to be complementary cogs to date, though the former will soon see a major QB upgrade after toiling on Jets and Browns rosters during his rookie contract.

The above-referenced quintet will almost definitely break camp as the Bills’ top five receivers, potentially leaving one spot remaining. If the Bills keep six wideouts, Buscaglia adds Laviska Shenault should be considered the favorite to nab the other spot. This would stand to leave Prather as a more likely practice squad stash, provided he clears waivers. Shenault’s return ability stands to bolster his chances of making the 53-man roster.

A former Jaguars second-round pick, Shenault showed some early-career promise at receiver by posting 600-plus-yard seasons in 2020 and ’21. This Bills regime liked the Colorado alum’s skillset entering the 2020 draft, per Buscaglia, and the NFL’s emphasis on increasing kick-return volume works in the veteran returner’s favor.

Shenault has caught just 15 passes over the past two years, but he has logged 22 kick returns in that span. Last season’s dynamic kickoff debut preceded Shenault returning 16 kicks. With the NFL moving the touchback line to the 35 in order to increase return numbers this offseason, the journeyman presents an intriguing option for the Bills. Splitting time with the Seahawks and Chargers last season, Shenault notched a 97-yard return TD under the updated kickoff setup.

The Bills will need to make multiple moves based on the suspensions handed to D-linemen Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht. Both players received six-game PED bans this offseason, which will lead to both being stashed on the reserve/suspended list. A No. 6 WR spot could be a place Buffalo targets to find roster space for the D-linemen, per Buscaglia. Shenault is a vested veteran and would not need to clear waivers — until the trade deadline, at least — to pass to the practice squad, though other teams dangling an active-roster spot in the event of an October release would be a variable the Bills would have to navigate in this scenario.

6 comments Buffalo Bills Elijah Moore Laviska Shenault Jr.

Offseason In Review: Indianapolis Colts

By Sam Robinson | at July 4, 2025 10:30 pm

The Colts entered the offseason with decision-makers on the ropes, as the Anthony Richardson decision may well be on the verge of ending Chris Ballard‘s lengthy GM stint and Shane Steichen‘s shorter HC run. Indianapolis moved on from one exec closely involved in the Richardson choice, and the team brought in Daniel Jones as competition. Thus far, signs point to that battle veering toward the six-year Giants starter.

As Jones steps into a strange savior role, considering the damage he did to the Giants’ power structure after struggling on a big-ticket contract, the Colts deviated from their usual Ballard-era free agency philosophy by signing two pricey DBs. The Colts are attempting to snap a four-season playoff drought, and jobs may be on the line. The Colts’ equation then changed drastically in May after Jim Irsay‘s death. The late owner’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, is now in control ahead of a pivotal season for the franchise.

Free agency additions:

Charvarius Ward, CB. Three years, $54MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Camryn Bynum, S. Four years, $60MM ($26MM guaranteed)
Daniel Jones, QB. One year, $14MM ($13.15MM guaranteed)
Spencer Shrader, K. Two years, $2.15MM ($750K guaranteed)
Khalil Herbert, RB. One year, $1.34MM ($483K guaranteed)
Corey Ballentine, CB. One year, $1.34MM ($483K guaranteed)
Neville Gallimore, DT. One year, $1.34MM ($400K guaranteed)
Joe Bachie, LB. One year, $1.17MM

Give Ballard credit for following through on a January mission statement. The ninth-year GM indicated his conservative free agency blueprint — an M.O. that prioritized a draft-and-develop route to the point the Colts fielded an almost entirely homegrown starting lineup last season — likely needed to change. Ballard had provided only one $20MM guarantee to a free agent in his tenure; that was Philip Rivers in a 2020 one-off. The embattled front office boss went to work on changing his stripes this offseason, as two of PFR’s top 40 free agents ended up in Indianapolis’ secondary.

This year’s cornerback market highlighted the value of the medium-term contract. Ward joined D.J. Reed, Carlton Davis and Byron Murphy in eschewing the usual four-year second contract for three- or two-year (in Murphy’s case) accords earlier this decade. That set up the late-20-somethings for significant third contracts, deals that probably would not have been available had the quartet opted for traditional-length FA pacts earlier. A new market for the third-contract CB ended up being set in a few hours’ time in March, and the Colts outmuscled multiple suitors for Ward.

Indianapolis had kept costs low at its outside cornerback positions for most of Ballard’s tenure, allocating the most notable CB money to their slot post. Kenny Moore‘s two contracts reset the slot market in 2019 and 2024, but he had little help following the 2023 Stephon Gilmore trade. Gus Bradley‘s vanilla scheme did not feature reliable pieces outside over the past two seasons, and the Colts had seen prior developments — the Rock Ya-Sin-for-Yannick Ngakoue trade and the Isaiah Rodgers gambling suspension — affect this position. Ward now checks in as an anchor-level piece, and the Colts will hope to coax more quality work as the ex-UDFA nears 30.

The 49ers made their CB choice by extending Deommodore Lenoir last season, effectively ensuring Ward would need to sign his third contract elsewhere. Ward slogged through a down season. The former Super Bowl winner (as a Chief) did not overlap with Ballard in Kansas City, being acquired from the Cowboys (for guard Parker Ehinger) months after Ballard’s Indianapolis arrival. He signed a three-year, $40MM 49ers deal in 2022, becoming one of many Chiefs one-contract CBs under Steve Spagnuolo. Ward provided a boost for San Francisco, earning second-team All-Pro acclaim during the team’s Super Bowl LVIII season.

Ward, 29, led the NFL with 23 passes defensed in 2023 but saw his coverage metrics worsen last season. After allowing 56.8% and 54.1% completion rates as the closest defender in 2022 and ’23, Ward yielded 61.5% accuracy last year. This corresponded with a rise in passer rating allowed (116.6 – up from 2023’s 64.5 number). Pro Football Focus had rated Ward as a top-six corner in both 2022 and ’23, but it dropped him to 93rd during Nick Sorensen’s season in charge.

Ward, however, was playing after a family tragedy; his 1-year-old daughter died in October 2024. The Colts will bet on the proven cover man regaining his previous form, and other teams — the Chiefs included — were willing to do the same.

It was certainly interesting to see the Colts win not one but two free agency derbies for DBs. Bynum checks in as a more traditional pickup, being on his second contract and attached to a four-year pact. But the 6-foot safety will turn 27 this month. Cashing in now is paramount to a player who became an important piece as Brian Flores rebuilt the Vikings’ defense. Part of the DC’s top-five unit, Bynum excelled in a complex scheme and will join a Colts team that had mostly turned to the draft (Nick Cross, Julian Blackmon, Malik Hooker, Clayton Geathers) to staff this position over the past decade.

The safety market has fluctuated over the past several years, and the past two free agencies saw money dry up after the top targets (Jessie Bates, Xavier McKinney) signed. This year, however, teams prioritized the position. As two-high looks populate NFL defenses, four teams — the Colts, Giants (Jevon Holland), Panthers (Tre’von Moehrig) and Broncos (Talanoa Hufanga) — doled out at least $13MM per year to add a safety. Bynum is now the NFL’s 10th-highest-paid safety.

The former fourth-round pick talked terms with the Vikings, but they made Murphy a higher priority. Bynum has been durable (51 starts since 2022) and productive (eight rookie-contract INTs). PFF graded Bynum 21st among safety regulars in 2023 but slotted him outside the top 60 last year. Teams were undeterred, driving up the market.

Bynum will join Cross, who enters a contract year after leading all DBs in 2024 tackles, as the Colts’ starting safeties. Lou Anarumo‘s group will carry considerably more firepower compared to Bradley’s Moore-dependent secondary.

Jones’ contract does not approach where the Colts went for Rivers, but the stakes attached to this Indy QB move are higher. The Giants gave the oft-underwhelming Eli Manning heir apparent six years. After two unimpressive seasons under Jason Garrett, Jones delivered a surprising breakthrough in Brian Daboll‘s 2022 Coach of the Year season. The former No. 6 overall pick ranked sixth in QBR and elevated an overmatched (save for Saquon Barkley) skill-position corps to the divisional round.

The well-timed season garnered Jones a four-year, $160MM deal. The QB’s production on that contract represents the main reason Daboll and Joe Schoen are on hot seats, making it fascinating he is now in Indy potentially tasked with cooling the temperature on Ballard and Steichen’s chairs. The Giants benched Jones after a 2-8 start, and he was no better before his midseason ACL tear in 2023. Being nearly two years removed from that injury could help unlock the former dual threat’s run-game element; Jones’ 708 rushing yards in 2022 represented an important part of the Giants’ playoff formula. But after the Giants waived Jones and the Vikings did not make him their backup, he comes to Indy with little momentum.

Briefly connected to Trey Lance, the Colts outbid the Vikings for Jones. They made no secret of the fact Richardson would need to compete to keep his job. Considering the concerning accuracy the former No. 4 overall draftee displayed last season, Jones viewed the Colts as a rebound gateway due to the playing time that could be available. The Vikings being set to give J.J. McCarthy the reins made that job less appealing for Jones, who still has a chance, despite the New York disappointments, to travel a Baker Mayfield– or Sam Darnold-like path via this Colts opportunity. Despite Jones’ recent struggles, he collected more guaranteed money than Mayfield or Darnold did in their rebound seasons.

The Colts turning to Jones would make them only the second franchise since 1970 to use eight Week 1 starting QBs in a nine-season span; Washington’s journey to Jayden Daniels represents the other. While the Commanders’ QB carousel has stopped, Richardson faces an uphill battle to stop the Colts’. Next to nothing has gone right since Indianapolis drafted Richardson, and the dual-threat (in theory) quarterback missed key offseason time due to another shoulder injury. Richardson is expected back by training camp, but missing minicamp gave Jones a “significant” lead in the QB competition.

As previously mentioned in this space, Richardson became just the eighth 21st-century QB to complete fewer than 50% of his passes in a season on 200-plus attempts. Also on that list: Tim Tebow, JaMarcus Russell and Bengals megabust Akili Smith. Five of the seven pre-Richardson QBs on that list lost their jobs the following year; Richardson pairing his alarming 47.7% completion rate with durability concerns and maturity issues works against him — even as Jones stands at a career crossroads.

The one-year Florida starter, who completed 53.8% of his passes for the 2022 Gators, has been unable to secure the reps necessary to develop properly. Richardson has missed 19 starts, and Steichen being concerned enough with his QB’s work habits — with the bizarre tap-out in Houston bringing that issue to light — to bench him for Joe Flacco last season gave the Colts reason to add competition. While Richardson is only 23 and tied to a fully guaranteed deal through 2026, time is running out.

Not doing much to replace Zack Moss behind Jonathan Taylor last year, the Colts added the Bengals’ Moss injury fill-in to man that spot. Herbert has flashed as a pro, averaging 5.7 yards per carry in 2022 — for a Bears offense that led the NFL in rushing — and 4.6 in 2023. The sixth-round speedster combined to amass 1,342 yards in that span, but the Bears signed D’Andre Swift to take over their backfield in 2024. Herbert ranked fourth in Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric in 2022; that form assuredly helped the Colts look past a down contract year (36 carries, 130 yards with the Bears and Bengals).

Re-signings:

Ashton Dulin, WR. Two years, $6.5MM ($2.94MM guaranteed)
Mo Alie-Cox, TE. One year, $2.2MM ($1.17MM guaranteed)
Danny Pinter, G. One year, $1.67MM ($750K guaranteed)
Cameron McGrone, LB. One year, $1.1MM

Quietly, Alie-Cox has become one of the longest-tenured tight ends in Colts history. The college basketball convert can move into fifth place for games played among Colts tight ends, past Dallas Clark, by playing only eight games this season. Sitting on 108 for his career, Alie-Cox will match Clark, Jack Doyle and Hall of Famer John Mackey‘s nine-year Colt tenures in 2025. Only two tight ends (Marcus Pollard and Tecmo-era staple Pat Beach) have played 10 seasons with the team.

Alie-Cox, 31, has played between 38-55% of Indy’s offensive snaps over the past five seasons. Jelani Woods‘ injury struggles have kept him a key piece, though the enduring presence accepted a steep pay cut — after playing out a three-year, $17.55MM contract — weeks before the Colts’ Tyler Warren move.

Notable losses:

Julian Blackmon, S
Taven Bryan, DT
Raekwon Davis, DT (released)
Sam Ehlinger, QB
Joe Flacco, QB
Tre Flowers, CB
Will Fries, G
Matt Gay, K (released)
Mark Glowinski, G
Kylen Granson, TE
Ronnie Harrison, S
Ryan Kelly, C
Dayo Odeyingbo, DE
Trey Sermon, RB
E.J. Speed, LB
Grant Stuard, LB

The last link to the Ryan Grigson rosters, Kelly expressed interest over multiple offseasons in staying with the Colts. The 2016 first-round pick played out a four-year, $49.65MM extension and joined Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith as staples that helped both Taylor to the rushing title and Andrew Luck post a Comeback Player of the Year campaign three years prior. While Kelly and the Colts talked, it became clear he would hit the market. Both he and Fries ended up in Minnesota, where Grigson is a front office staffer.

Fries commanded a big market despite going down in Week 5 of last season with a broken leg. Being 32, Kelly did not attract similar free agency interest, but he still will replace Garrett Bradbury as the Vikings’ starting center — on a two-year, $18MM deal. Fries was the only free agent to sign a five-year deal this offseason, scoring $87.72MM on a deal that secured $34MM guaranteed at signing. Minnesota’s O-line overhaul will deal a blow to the Colts.

Kelly missed seven games last season, undergoing knee surgery that keyed an IR placement. Prior to last season, though, the Alabama alum earned four Pro Bowl nods and a second-team All-Pro honor. ESPN’s pass block win rate metric still placed Kelly 10th among interior O-linemen last season, and PFF graded Kelly’s most recent full season (2023) well by placing him eighth among centers.

Fries took over as Pinter’s replacement midway through the Colts’ wildly disappointing 2022 season; by 2023, the former seventh-round find was a 17-game starter. Last year, Fries was off to his best start; PFF ranked him second among guards at the time he went down. Fries expressed interest in staying, and the Colts made a push to keep him. But the bidding involved a number of teams — including the Cardinals, Giants, Patriots and Seahawks — and the Colts stood down.

Third- and fourth-round picks from the 2024 draft are favored to replace the departed blockers. Tanor Bortolini, a fourth-rounder, filled in for Kelly last season and is ticketed to start this year. Three years remain on his contract and Matt Goncalves‘. After the third-round draftee primarily filled in for Smith at right tackle last season, the Colts are kicking him inside to guard. This will be an interesting challenge for Goncalves, who played only tackle in college and logged all of one guard snap in 2024. If Goncalves cannot make the transition, UDFA Dalton Tucker (seven 2024 starts) looms as an option.

A former second-round pick who mixed in at both defensive end and D-tackle, Odeyingbo drew a strong Bears offer (three years, $48MM). Posting back-to-back seasons of 17 QB hits, Odeyingbo helped the Colts after Samson Ebukam‘s season-nullifying Achilles tear last year. The Purdue product posted 16 TFLs over the past two seasons and registered eight 2023 sacks. Ebukam is due back in a contract year, and the Colts have both DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart signed to eight-figure-per-year deals. Odeyingbo’s exit also clears a path for 2024 first-rounder Laiatu Latu, whose performance will be a top Colts 2025 storyline.

If Flacco’s stunning Browns showing two years ago is removed from the equation, the former Super Bowl MVP’s post-Baltimore career has brought little of consequence. He followed a brief Broncos cameo with unremarkable Jets QB2 work, and the aging passer could not justify Steichen’s plan to demote Richardson in order to make a playoff push. That lasted just two games, as Richardson reacquired his job. Flacco still completed 65.3% of his passes, lightyears ahead of Richardson’s work. Although he piloted the Colts to two wins, Flacco — now back in Cleveland on a one-year, $4.25MM deal — was never a realistic candidate to re-sign.

As Shaquille Leonard‘s injury trouble (and issues fitting into Bradley’s scheme) mounted, Speed became the Colts’ answer alongside Zaire Franklin. The Colts turned to the 2019 fifth-rounder as a full-time presence down the stretch in 2023, and he smashed his career-high work rate last season. Speed logged 98% of Indy’s defensive snaps, making 142 tackles. The new Texans LB posted 19 TFLs over the past two seasons.

Using much of their allocated free agent funds in the secondary, the Colts made low-cost depth additions in Joe Bachie and Jacob Phillips. But Jaylon Carlies, a 2024 fifth-round pick, is on track to be Indy’s Speed replacement. Six years younger than Speed, Carlies enters his age-24 season having made six rookie-year starts and logging 242 defensive snaps.

Draft:

Round 1, No. 14: Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 45: J.T. Tuimoloau (DE, Ohio State)
Round 3, No. 80: Justin Walley (CB, Minnesota) (signed)
Round 4, No. 127 (from Rams): Jalen Travis (T, Iowa State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 151: DJ Giddens (RB, Kansas State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 189: Riley Leonard (QB, Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 6, No. 190 (from Falcons through Rams): Tim Smith (DT, Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 232: Hunter Wohler (S, Wisconsin) (signed)

The Colts are on a lengthy drought without a productive pass catcher at tight end. Indianapolis has not seen a tight end tally more than 400 receiving yards in a season this decade. Eric Ebron proved a one-year answer in 2018, and Jack Doyle did not move the needle much as a target following the Ebron signing. As 2022 third-rounder Jelani Woods has missed all of the past two seasons, after being chosen to work in Frank Reich‘s offense, the Colts carried a glaring need entering the draft.

Colts-Warren connections emerged early in the pre-draft process, after he had delivered one of the most impactful tight end seasons in recent college football history. Warren stampeded to a 1,233-yard receiving season on 104 receptions, but Penn State utilized his athleticism as a rusher as well. Warren tacked on 218 rushing yards for the CFP semifinalist, totaling 12 touchdowns during a breakthrough senior season.

A five-year Nittany Lion, Warren had never surpassed 450 receiving yards in a season prior to last year. NFL-bound tight ends Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson had previously served as impediments. Entering his senior slate behind Colston Loveland as a tight end prospect, Warren rocketed onto the first-round radar and drew speculation about becoming the first TE off the board. Ultimately, the Bears preferred Loveland’s traditional profile.

Still, the Colts not having to trade up to fill such a massive need at No. 14 proved a nice break. Although Loveland may be the more polished route runner, Warren will be asked to provide immediate help for Jones and/or Richardson.

Tuimoloau arrived weeks after Odeyingbo’s Bears defection. He joins a Colts team still rostering 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye, who is on a fifth-year option, and one that selected Latu 15th overall last year. Ebukam is in a contract year. The Colts declined trade-down offers early and have one of Division I-FBS’ top rushers entering the fray.

One of many Buckeyes drafted this year, Tuimoloau’s dominance played a key part in their national championship season. After a five-sack 2023, the edge rusher ripped off 12.5 to go with 22 TFLs and two forced fumbles as a senior. Tuimoloau does not profile as a speed rusher, checking boxes as a power player who can hold up against the run. While Ebukam and Paye’s presences figure to limit him to rotational duty this season, a roadmap to a starting role by 2026 exists. Nothing of note has come out on a Paye extension, but that does represent a variable here.

Rumblings about Walley being a slot option have surfaced, and the Minnesota alum impressed during the offseason program. The Colts are set to pair Moore with Ward and either Jaylon Jones or JuJu Brents. The 2023 second-rounder, though, has been unable to stay on the field through two seasons. That opened the door for a long Jones runway of starts.

It will be interesting if Walley, at 5-foot-10, affects Indianapolis’ boundary CB plans this year or if he is more of a dime back. Moore’s contract pays out the last of its guarantees this year, the CB’s age-30 season. Walley’s rookie-year performance could impact the slot staple in 2026.

Extensions and restructures:

RT Braden Smith accepted pay cut, now on one-year, $8MM deal

One of the NFL’s best right tackles going into last season, Smith ran into a health issue that sidelined him down the stretch. The Colts placed the veteran RT on their reserve/NFI list, and Smith later cited an OCD diagnosis as the reason behind the absence. He vowed to return for his age-29 season, but the Colts did come in with a pay-cut request. Smith accepted and is back in place in his usual post.

PFF slotted Smith as a top-20 tackle each year from 2019-23; in his most recent full season, Smith graded as PFF’s No. 5 overall tackle and drew high marks, via ESPN, in both the pass block and run stop win rate metrics. In that time, Smith signed a four-year, $70MM ($32MM at signing) extension.

The Colts fortified two spots along their O-line in the 2018 draft, as he and Nelson both plowed roads for Taylor’s rushing title and gave Marlon Mack lanes toward a 1,000-yard season before that. Nelson is signed for two more seasons, but Smith is in a contract year that does not feature any guaranteed money.

Other:

Longtime owner Jim Irsay passed away; Carlie Irsay-Gordon now principal owner
Fired DC Gus Bradley, hired Lou Anarumo as replacement
Parted ways with senior personnel executive Morocco Brown
Assistant GM Ed Dodds interviewed twice for Titans’ GM job
Hired James Bettcher as LBs coach, Chris Hewitt as DBs coach
Claimed DT Eric Johnson‘s one-year $995K contract from Patriots
Signed 14 UDFAs

A tragedy brought the most significant Colts news this offseason. Irsay, who had been in place as the team’s owner for more than 25 years, was one of the NFL’s more colorful characters. Although some of his remarks were not always helpful to the Colts’ cause, the outspoken leader was wholly committed to his team. Irsay was in place as Colts GM from 1984-93, when his father — a far more controversial figure in NFL history — owned the team. The Eric Dickerson trade notwithstanding, the Colts did not deliver much of consequence during their first several Indianapolis years. They began to turn a corner in the mid-1990s.

Irsay had begun a de facto ownership tenure when his father suffered a stroke in 1995. In Year 2 in an official ownership role by 1998, the Colts secured the No. 1 overall pick and access to the best quarterback prospect since John Elway. Fifteen years after his father traded Elway’s rights without consulting his then-GM (Ernie Accorsi), Irsay had Hall of Fame-bound GM Bill Polian in place when Peyton Manning arrived. Seeing the all-time great take a big step forward in 1999, the Colts established a sturdy foundation when Irsay hired Tony Dungy in 2002.

The Colts won at least 12 games each year from 2003-09, venturing to two Super Bowls (winning Super Bowl XLI) and seeing Manning win four MVP honors. After Manning’s neck injury led to a March 2012 release, Luck was waiting. Luck’s career did not go as expected, even though bright flashes commenced when the future Stanford GM was healthy, and Irsay’s team has struggled to replace him.

Irsay’s overreach in the post-Luck period featured instructions to trade Carson Wentz, to acquire Matt Ryan and then to bench Ryan. His comments also made Ballard’s 2023 Jonathan Taylor negotiations more difficult. The most notable example of Irsay meddling took place in 2022, when he went against Ballard’s advice and hired Jeff Saturday as interim HC. The Colts center great and now-two-stint ESPN analyst predictably struggled, and doubts about the Colts’ direction multiplied.

Richardson has not done much to quiet those, and Irsay’s three daughters are now steering the ship. The oldest of that trio, Irsay-Gordon (44), leads the way. While the Irsay daughters have vowed to let Ballard and Steichen operate without ownership interference, Irsay-Gordon has been a headset presence on gamedays in preparing for a future ownership role. That continuing will be an interesting Colts storyline, now that she holds decision-making autonomy. Her comments about Ballard and Steichen’s performances also could ramp up pressure for a turnaround.

The exec who championed Richardson in the runup to the 2023 draft, Brown and the Colts went their separate ways this offseason. Brown was a GM candidate in the late 2010s, but not in recent years. Higher-profile figures could fall if the QB situation does not improve this season.

Bradley’s defensive scheme enjoyed a memorable run, highlighted by the success the Seahawks and 49ers achieved using it. But the Colts have struggled defensively since Matt Eberflus departed for Chicago in 2022. Indianapolis ranked as a top-10 defense thrice in Eberflus’ four-year tenure; they did not move inside the top 20 during Bradley’s run. Bradley’s crew did set an Indianapolis-era franchise sack mark (51) in 2023, but the Colts struggled in coverage.

The death blow for Bradley may well have been Drew Lock slicing up his defense in Week 17, quarterbacking the two-win Giants to a 45-33 upset win that eliminated the Colts from the playoffs and dropped New York out of the No. 1 draft slot. Bradley, who had been a DC or head coach each year from 2009-24, is now working under former protege Robert Saleh in San Francisco.

Anarumo, 59, interviewed twice for the Cardinals’ HC job in 2023. He had built momentum by devising a gameplan that flummoxed Patrick Mahomes in the second half of the 2021 AFC championship game. Still the NFL’s most prolific passer at that juncture, Mahomes struggled as the Chiefs scored three second-half points in blowing an 18-point halftime lead. After the narrow Super Bowl LVI loss, the Bengals’ defense ranked sixth in 2022.

The six-year Cincinnati defensive boss became available after his defense nosedived last season, denying an MVP-caliber Joe Burrow season from even producing a playoff berth. Despite Trey Hendrickson‘s All-Pro season, the Bengals ranked 25th in points and yards allowed. Anarumo’s defense also allowed the second-most yards in 2023. The shootout formula dragged the Bengals to a 9-8 record last season, but new Bears HC Ben Johnson had shown interest in taking Anarumo with him. Quick Colts action prevented that, and Anarumo will be critical to a mission that almost definitely will not involve high-level quarterback play.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

DeForest Buckner, DT: $26MM
Michael Pittman Jr., WR: $23MM
Quenton Nelson, G: $22.76MM
Jonathan Taylor, RB: $15.38MM
Daniel Jones, QB: $14.45MM
Grover Stewart, DL: $14.25MM
Kwity Paye, DE: $13.39MM
Kenny Moore, CB: $10.69MM
Samson Ebukam, DE: $10.49MM
Braden Smith, RT: $10.4MM

Week 1 will mark more than six years since Luck’s retirement. The Colts are 1-for-6 in playoff berths in that span, and Ballard’s popularity has certainly freefallen in Indianapolis. While no current Colt’s popularity will approach Caitlin Clark’s, their latest roster houses a mix of veteran stalwarts and young skill-position players who, thanks largely to the post-Luck passer carousel, enter 2025 with untapped potential.

If Richardson were to hold off Jones for the QB1 job, the Colts would be poised to start 11 homegrown players on offense. For all that was made of Ballard’s free agency pivot, a Richardson-over-Jones path will show effects of the GM’s long-held strategy. With Taylor, Pittman and Warren fronting an offense that carries three rookie-deal Day 2 picks at WR (Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell), Jones winning the job would mean the much-criticized QB will have — perhaps by far — the most well-rounded group of skill array of his career. PFF placing the Colts’ 2024 O-line — even with Kelly, Fries and Smith missing chunks of the season — 12th last year also represents new territory for Jones, who played behind mostly dreadful Giants blocking groups (PFF even ranked New York’s 2022 playoff O-line 30th).

Richardson not making a belated leap or Jones not mounting a Mayfield- or Darnold-like resurgence would stand to put Irsay-Gordon to a big-picture decision come 2026. For now, the Colts will hope one of their passer plans can help a veteran core waiting for a quarterback to push it to relevance. A deep AFC makes the Colts underdogs for their first playoff berth since 2020, but Ballard and Steichen are banking on one of their two QB plans paying off.

10 comments Indianapolis Colts Offseason In Review PFR Originals

Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders

By Sam Robinson | at July 2, 2025 10:02 pm

With owners delaying Tom Brady‘s approval as a Raiders minority owner for over a year, Mark Davis‘ plan to install the all-time QB great/FOX lead analyst as his top football exec was on hold. This delay brought both good and bad news for the Raiders’ 2024 power structure. Davis removed Antonio Pierce‘s interim tag and arranged a shotgun marriage with ex-Chargers GM Tom Telesco. Brady’s first months in charge, however, led to both being fired and yet another batch of new Raider leaders being brought in.

The Raiders’ latest reboot soon brought a full-on Seattle feel, as new HC Pete Carroll added three-year Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith in a trade. As the Raiders attempt to raise their floor with Carroll and Smith, Brady and new GM John Spytek created some long-term questions with their decisions this offseason.

Coaching/Front Office:

Fired Antonio Pierce, hired Pete Carroll as HC replacement
Fired Tom Telesco, hired John Spytek as GM replacement
Hired Chip Kelly as OC, retained Patrick Graham as DC
Added Brennan Carroll as O-line coach, Nate Carroll as assistant QBs coach
Parted ways with assistant GM Champ Kelly, brought in Brian Stark as replacement
Rehired Greg Olson as QBs coach, Joe Woods as DBs coach,
Did not retain director of player personnel JoJo Wooden; Mark Thewes added as VP of football operations
Hired Brandon Hunt from Eagles as VP of player personnel

We covered in last year’s Raiders Offseason In Review effort how unusual the Pierce promotion was, as the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker’s experience level was unlike just about any modern HC hire’s. That turned out to be an issue for the Raiders, who trudged through a 4-13 season, losing the momentum their Pierce-led 2023 stretch created. Pierce, who drew HC interest from other teams last year, fired his OC hire (Luke Getsy) halfway through the season and could not stave off an ouster himself. No team has hired the former Arizona State DC this offseason.

Pierce and Telesco did not see eye to eye at quarterback; an eventful (for the wrong reasons) season transpired. Pierce was closely linked to preferring a blockbuster trade-up to reunite with Jayden Daniels, but Telesco was believed to be unready to part with the draft capital that would have been necessary to make that happen. Both power brokers paid the price, and while the Raiders were likely the one team that made the Commanders an offer for No. 2 overall, it never sounded like Washington would have made that trade.

The Raiders finding themselves shut out after not making any move up the board (from No. 13) created a predictable QB issue. Even as Brock Bowers dominated, Telesco paid for not addressing the QB situation last year.

Not wanting Pierce’s replacement tied to a holdover GM, Brady orchestrated Telesco’s ouster. Davis was not exactly displeased with Telesco’s draft, as it produced a record-setting tight end season and two O-linemen (Jackson Powers-Johnson, DJ Glaze) poised to start this year, but the Christian Wilkins signing — and the deal given to stopgap Gardner Minshew — worked against the longtime AFC West exec. The Raiders fired Telesco less than 13 months after a Pierce-led 63-21 demolition led to Telesco’s Chargers ouster. No team has hired since hired Telesco.

Connections to Bill Belichick and Deion Sanders emerged, but no real traction came regarding either college coach. Mike Vrabel also turned down a meeting with his former Patriots teammate due to being set on returning to New England. These were not the most notable “what if?” regarding this Raiders coaching search.

Brady’s presence convinced Ben Johnson to give the Raiders serious consideration, whereas the high-demand candidate was otherwise prepared to pass on an interview. The optics of Brady calling Lions games, including their playoff loss to the Commanders, for FOX and simultaneously eyeing him for the Raiders created an obvious conflict of interest. Brady is not leaving the booth, however, and he used the time to scout Johnson for a Vegas pitch.

While the Raiders prepared a big offer for Johnson, a later report indicated they never actually made it. Johnson ended up backing out of the Raiders and Jaguars’ searches, informing the Bears he would mentor Caleb Williams. The Raiders’ lack of a surefire quarterback option at that time hurt their cause, and Brady and Co. soon completed about as drastic a pivot as possible. They have gone from attempting to hire a 39-year-old to choosing Carroll, who will become the oldest HC in NFL history after turning 74 in September.

Carroll did not advance as far on last year’s HC carousel but rocketed back for what will be his fourth NFL HC opportunity. The former Jets, Patriots and Seahawks leader did not overlap with Brady in Foxborough, being fired as Robert Kraft engineered the 2000 Belichick hire/trade, but faced him with the Seahawks. Carroll said Brady’s part-owner status became a draw for him. While other teams had interviewed Carroll since his Seahawks ouster, it is also fair to say the Super Bowl-winning HC was not an in-demand candidate.

Few coaches receive fourth chances, separating Carroll from most of his peers. His four AFC East seasons notwithstanding, the veteran leader will obviously be best remembered for his Seattle stay. The ex-USC national champion HC held final personnel say with the Seahawks, and while John Schneider has seen more credit for the team’s draft finds (Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson), Carroll held the hammer.

The Seahawks went 170-120-1 under Carroll. That regular-season win total sits 17th all time; he can move to 14th with a four-win season. The Raiders will expect more, as the defense-oriented coach never posted fewer than seven wins in a season in 14 Seattle years.

Wilson’s prime and the Legion of Boom’s presences raised the Seahawks’ ceiling, and the organization capitalized on the former’s rookie contract to supplement the Sherman, Chancellor and Earl Thomas extensions. That formula produced one of the NFL’s best 21st-century teams, as the 2013 Seahawks demolished the Broncos — who had Spytek on staff at the time — in Super Bowl XLVIII before a banged-up successor fell just short to Brady’s Patriots a year later.

The Seahawks became the first team since the mid-1950s Browns to lead the NFL in scoring defense in four straight seasons, running that streak from 2012-15. But Carroll’s unit gradually declined to the point it became a weakness during the Smith years. The Seahawks ranked 25th in points allowed in 2022 and ’23, and they Ken Norton Jr.– and Clint Hurtt-run units were 26th or worse four times from 2019-23.

While Carroll deserves some credit for providing key input to tailor an offense around Wilson’s skillset, the Seahawks hovered around the .500 mark during the coach’s final three seasons. Carroll lobbied to keep his job in 2024, but ownership disagreed and moved on with Schneider at the controls (and the NFL’s youngest HC — Mike Macdonald — on the sideline).

Marv Levy and George Halas were both 72 when they coached their final seasons; Romeo Crennel was an interim Texans HC at 73. This season, Carroll will be two years older than any other full-time HC in NFL history. That invites obvious questions about the Raiders’ plan, as it features a shorter coaching contract (three years) compared to standard deals. Kelly and Graham would make unusual successors, and it is fair to wonder if the Raiders have Carroll’s replacement on staff. A rumor indicating Brennan Carroll could be in that mix certainly proved interesting. How the Raiders plan to transition after this short-term Pete Carroll run will be a central storyline for as long as this partnership lasts.

The third pillar in the Raiders’ power trio carries by far the lowest Q rating, but Spytek has a unique relationship with Brady. The two were teammates at Michigan, more than two decades before Spytek resided in a Buccaneers front office that wooed the QB legend to Tampa. Spytek, 44, moved from national Broncos scout to Bucs player personnel director after Denver’s Super Bowl 50 win. The Bucs assembled pieces that eventually attracted Brady as a free agent, and Spytek was integral to that combination delivering the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.

The veteran exec also helped the Bucs establish a four-year NFC South title streak — albeit in a rather down period for that division — despite Brady’s retirement creating a $35MM dead money bill in 2023. Tampa Bay still managed to re-sign and extend its key players, producing winning records both with Brady’s dead cap bill on the books (2023) and after Baker Mayfield received a major pay raise (2024).

Carroll does not hold full personnel control in Vegas; it is unclear who is making the final calls. Brady has described himself as a sounding board — a good nominee for undersell of the year — while Carroll has said he, Spytek and Brady are involved in the decision-making.

Kelly became a borderline reviled presence in Philly by 2015, when his power grab nearly led Howie Roseman out of town. Kelly’s 2016 49ers stop led to the 49ers cleaning house a year later. Both teams became NFC powers after firing Kelly. Still, the former UCLA HC-turned-Ohio State OC received interest in another try. This included Raiders OC interest in 2024, making it interesting they circled back — after another regime change — this year.

The Raiders interviewed Kelly twice in 2024, and it undoubtedly cost more to hire him a year later due to the Buckeyes’ national championship season. Kelly, 61, made the unusual transition from HC to OC at the college level. Ohio State’s ascent to a title — 14 years after Kelly’s Oregon squad fell short to Cam Newton‘s Auburn team — after losing Marvin Harrison Jr. led to interest from a few teams.

The Raiders’ $6MM salary — believed to be the highest for an active coordinator — brought in Kelly, as Brady and his ownership group partners are helping deliver funding into a traditionally cash-poor franchise.

Graham, 46, has been on the HC carousel for a bit. This year did not produce as much attention, even with the Jaguars having Graham as an option behind top choice Liam Coen. The Jags and Bengals, though, did consider Graham for DC. This came after a Graham-led bounce-back gave the Raiders their first top-16 scoring defense (ninth) since the Super Bowl XXXVII year.

Dating back to Al Davis‘ final decade in charge, the Raiders have been unable to rely on their defenses. This included last year, when Graham’s unit regressed to 25th in points allowed. Graham has no history with Carroll, but he was on the Patriots’ staff during seven Brady years.

Signaling their latest fresh start, the Raiders rehired both Olson and Woods. Olson had been the Silver and Black’s OC for six seasons across a two-stint stretch (from 2013-14 and again from 2018-21). Olson took over after Raiders play-calling after Jon Gruden‘s forced resignation. The Raiders’ DBs coach in 2014, Woods joined Spytek in collecting a ring with the 2015 Broncos — before three DC opportunities (in Denver, Cleveland and New Orleans) followed.

Trades:

Acquired QB Geno Smith from Seahawks for No. 92; sides agreed on two-year, $75MM extension ($58.5MM guaranteed)

One of many teams to enter the offseason with a QB need, the Raiders passed on free agency and a lowly regarded draft class at the position. While Las Vegas was linked to both a Wilson-Carroll reunion and being in on Sam Darnold and Justin Fields, the team made a preemptive strike.

As it turned out, Brady did not want the Raiders to bring in Darnold. But they joined the Giants in making a strong push for Matthew Stafford. Both teams had agreed to provide the aging signal-caller with a sizable guarantee package — from $90-$100MM. (The Raiders, however, were not going to trade their No. 6 overall pick even as the Rams sought a first-rounder for their centerpiece player.) Brady and Stafford met at a ski resort in Montana, after the Rams had given their starter permission to discuss trades, as Davis’ new ownership weapon appeared to give the team a boost in QB recruitment.

Reminding of Brady’s Ben Johnson pursuit, the mission brought intrigue from the courtship’s object but ultimately failed when Stafford — as could be expected given his importance to the Rams and fit with Sean McVay — regrouped and stayed in L.A. Stafford heading from the friendly confines McVay has created in L.A. for Vegas uncertainty at 37 would have been a big gamble.

Smith’s value had sunk so low the Seahawks had cut him while they rearranged their roster in August 2019. That began a three-year stint as Wilson’s backup, but when Carroll signed off on the March 2022 Wilson blockbuster trade, Smith beat out Drew Lock for the ’22 Seattle gig.

Smith’s stunning turnaround captured attention and brought a substantial raise. But the Seahawks paused on committing true franchise money to their Wilson replacement. That pattern persisting in 2024 and into this offseason opened the door for the Raiders, who obtained Smith for a modest trade price.

They also acquired the QB’s Seahawks-designed three-year, $75MM contract. Agreed to in Carroll’s final Seattle offseason, the deal’s true numbers had placed Smith in no-man’s land at the position. Hovering a couple tiers south of the new franchise-QB market and well above backup money, Smith had pursued a Seahawks extension in 2024. Talks about a deal this year led to the trade, as the Seahawks and Smith’s camp did not see eye-to-eye on value.

The outcome of the Raiders’ subsequent Smith negotiations proved interesting, as the 13th-year passer’s AAV sits 17th at the position. Smith did pass Derek Carr‘s Saints contract — still active at the time the Raiders extended Smith — and Baker Mayfield‘s midlevel Buccaneers accord, but he did not clear the $40MM-per-year bar he hoped to in Seahawks talks. The NFC West team had proposed Smith numbers similar to the Darnold contract (three years, $100.5MM); he declined. Darnold’s deal carries a year-to-year structure; the team offering that to Smith illustrates hesitancy despite a solid three-year starter tenure.

Smith collected far more fully guaranteed money from Vegas than he did on his 2023 Seattle raise ($27.3MM), but the Raiders contract would bring no dead money if the team moved on in 2027. This deal gives the team a safety net while another long-term QB search commences.

Considering Smith will be 37 in 2027, the Raiders have a runway to find his replacement. For now, though, the ex-Jets draftee brings five years of Carroll familiarity and a substantial upgrade on what the Raiders had deployed since they cut Carr.

Although Smith’s interception issues (15) plagued the Seahawks last year, he played behind a below-average offensive line and for an OC (Ryan Grubb) Macdonald fired after one season. Seattle being fine replacing Smith with Darnold does not paint a picture of tremendous confidence in the discarded QB, but Smith topped his Comeback Player of the Year numbers in 2024 in completion percentage (70.4) and yardage (4,320). A 21st-place QBR finish accompanied those marks, and Smith will also go from targeting D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to throwing passes to Bowers and a receiving corps appearing to possess far less firepower.

Extensions and restructures:

Reached three-year, $106.5MM extension ($62.5MM guaranteed) with OLB Maxx Crosby
Agreed on four-year, $15.8MM extension ($10MM guaranteed) with P AJ Cole
Restructured DL Christian Wilkins‘ deal, creating $15MM in cap space

The Seahawks asked the Raiders for Crosby in a trade that would have sent both Smith and Metcalf to Vegas; the Silver and Black predictably balked. For a second time, a Raiders regime that did not draft the former fourth-rounder paid him. This deal came with two seasons remaining on the four-year, $94MM extension Crosby signed early in the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler tenure. Telesco signed off on a reworking for the All-Pro pass rusher last year; the Spytek-Brady-Carroll troika bettered that to display a firm commitment to a player who had been in trade rumors.

Teams asked about Crosby at the past two deadlines, as the Raiders’ fortunes had worsened since the fluky Rich Bisaccia-overseen playoff campaign. Mark Davis shut down inquiries, but Crosby looked to have changed his stance on being a one-team player, making comments about a lack of desire to be part of another rebuild last year. The Raiders responded by making the impact EDGE (briefly) the NFL’s highest-paid defender at $35.5MM per year. That passed Nick Bosa‘s pact and set the table for Myles Garrett‘s $40MM-AAV extension.

Crosby, 28 in August, has stood as the team’s franchise player for years. He kept producing elite disruption numbers despite the Raiders’ plans to complement him fizzling. McDaniels and Ziegler’s Chandler Jones reunion combusted quickly, after the former All-Pro had delivered an uninspired 2022 season, and complementary piece Tyree Wilson has made four starts in two seasons. Telesco’s top investment, Christian Wilkins, went down with a foot fracture five games into last season. That occurred barely a month after Malcolm Koonce‘s ACL tear.

Crosby’s 62 tackles for loss since 2022 lead the NFL by five. That is 16 more than T.J. Watt and 19 more than Micah Parsons in that span. Both Watt and Parsons have much more help, whereas Crosby has racked up these numbers as a one-man show of sorts for mostly struggling teams. He also compiled them after missing five games to close last season.