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Las Vegas Raiders News & Rumors

Raiders Contender To Trade Up For Cam Ward

February 24th, 2025 at 11:16pm CST by Ben Levine

While a recent report indicated that the Raiders were focused on Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado QB may not truly be the organization’s top choice at the position. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, there’s a general belief around the NFL that the Raiders are a prime contender to move up in the draft in pursuit of Miami QB Cam Ward.

[RELATED: Raiders May Be Homing In On QB Shedeur Sanders]

This year’s top tier of quarterback prospects only consists of Ward and Sanders. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Miami product has separated himself as QB1. In other words, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that the QB-needy Raiders would pursue the top positional prospect.

It is noteworthy that they’d be willing to give up the prerequisite trade haul vs. just settling with Sanders. For what it’s worth, Pauline says there are plenty of league sources who believe the Raiders will just take Sanders at No. 6 if they can’t work out a trade for Ward. Still, it sounds like the front office has a preference, and it seems to match the general sentiment from around the NFL.

According to Pauline, some scouts are discouraged by Sanders’ lack of development in 2024, and the QB could require “a lot of coaching” to refine his throwing fundamentals. If push comes to shove, it sounds like the Raiders are at least willing to tolerate those growing pains, especially since Tom Brady has “a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation, his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient.”

The Raiders were positioned to land the first-overall pick in the draft before winning two of their final three games, dropping the organization to the sixth-overall selection. Despite the fact they won’t have their pick of the litter, it sounds like the Raiders can still walk away with one of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

Raiders Re-Sign S Isaiah Pola-Mao

February 24th, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Isaiah Pola-Mao was on track to be a restricted free agent this offseason, but that will not be the case. The Raiders safety signed a new deal on Monday, per a team announcement.

Providing details on the pact, Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report this is a two-year deal. The maximum value of the contract is $8.45MM, making this a notable raise compared to Pola-Mao’s previous deals. The former UDFA has spent each of his first three years with the Raiders.

Pola-Mao did not log any starts during his first two seasons with Vegas, operating instead as a key special teams presence. The USC alum’s third phase success made it little surprise when he was re-signed last March. That move set up the potential for an RFA tender being necessary this spring, but such a scenario has now been avoided. Pola-Mao will be able to continue as a first-team presence on defense, a role he took on in 2024.

The 25-year-old started 14 of the Raiders’ 17 games last season, and to no surprise he set career highs across the board from a statistical standpoint. Pola-Mao totaled 89 tackles, five pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles in 2024. While his performance in coverage (129.6 passer rating and three touchdowns allowed as the nearest defender) left plenty to be desired, it comes as little surprise the Raiders have opted to keep him in the fold for the next two years.

Tre’von Moehrig has operated as a full-time safety starter during his time with the Raiders, and he enjoyed a career-year in 2024. A lucrative free agent deal sending him to a new team in free agency is therefore on the table, and it will be interesting to see if Vegas’ new regime looks to keep him in the fold. Regardless of what happens on that front, Pola-Mao will remain in the team’s plans moving forward.

Rams Seeking First-Round Pick For Matthew Stafford; Raiders Could Show Interest?

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

As uncertainly looms over the future of Matthew Stafford, speculation about a potential trade will no doubt continue to intensify. The veteran quarterback’s camp has permission from the Rams to gauge his market value, and a degree of clarity on the asking price for any potential deal appears to have emerged.

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the Rams will alter the trade cost in a swap depending on how much money an acquiring team is willing to take on. Stafford and Los Angeles reached a one-year agreement on a revised deal last offseason, but the acceleration of money into 2024 left team in player in a similar situation for this spring. The 37-year-old will play in 2025, and the Rams have made it clear they are on board with keeping him as their starter as long as his career continues.

Considering the updates which have emerged in recent days on this situation, it would come as no surprise if a firm asking price were to emerge from the Rams. Per Bonsignore, Los Angeles would look to collect a first-round pick and more in a Stafford swap. He notes suitors will attempt to drop the cost to a package built on a second-round selection. Depending on how strong Stafford’s market proves to be, Los Angeles could be in line to receive notable draft compensation in the event efforts to work out another restructured pact fell through.

The two-time Pro Bowler is currently owed $32MM in 2025 and $31MM during the final year of his pact. Only roster bonuses totaling $4MM this year and $5MM next represent locked in compensation, however, so new guarantees (along with at least a modest raise) will be needed for an arrangement to be made. The Rams are currently mid-pack in terms of projected cap space and the team does not have a quarterback successor in the fold as things stand.

Those factors could very well help the team repeat its efforts from 2024 and grant Stafford another one-year bump in pay. If the Rams receive viable trade offers, on the other hand, they could elect to move on and start over at the position (as they will need to in the near future anyway). The former Lion has generally provided strong play during his four years in Los Angeles, although injuries and the threat of declining production represent obvious reasons for any team to hesitate regarding a lucrative commitment.

To little surprise, Bonsignore names the Raiders as a potential player in the Stafford sweepstakes. New owner Tom Brady has proven to be a highly influential voice in the organization, having played a central role in the hiring of John Spytek as general manager and Pete Carroll as head coach. Vegas is among the teams in need of a new long-term answer at the quarterback spot, but both of the two passers seen as being worthy of a Day 1 selection in this year’s draft could be off the board by the time the team is on the clock at No. 6.

Adding a bridge starter would help the Raiders’ outlook for 2025, and with a Gardner Minshew release expected, they will be in the market for a veteran. The likes of Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson could be targets in free agency provided they become available, but a trade for Stafford would provide Vegas with a short-term upgrade. Whether or not the Raiders or any other interested party will be prepared to meet the Rams’ asking price will make for one of the league’s top storylines over the near future.

Raiders Expected To Cut Gardner Minshew?

February 22nd, 2025 at 9:54am CST by Ben Levine

As the new Raiders regime looks to retool their quarterbacks depth chart, some of the team’s incumbent signal callers may be pushed off the roster. That would naturally include the team’s highest-paid QB, as Tashan Reed of The Athletic writes that Gardner Minshew is a release candidate heading into the offseason.

Minshew inked a two-year, $25MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, and the organization is still on the hook for some guaranteed money for the 2025 campaign. That contract does contain an out, but it would only provide the Raiders with about $3MM in relief while leaving close to $11MM in dead cap.

Reed says the more realistic route would see Minshew released via a post-June 1 designation. In that scenario, the Raiders would free up $6MM in cap space since the QB’s dead cap hit would be spread across the 2025 ($7.82MM) and 2026 ($3MM) campaigns. It’s a less-than-desirable outcome for the front office, but there’s still enough incentive to move on from the veteran.

Minshew’s first (and likely lone) season in Las Vegas couldn’t have gone much worse. The Raiders went 2-7 in his nine starts, with Minshew finishing with a career-low touchdown percentage (2.9) and a career-high interception rate (3.3). The 28-year-old was replaced a handful of times by Aidan O’Connell before getting definitively benched in November.

After going 7-6 as a starter with the Colts in 2023, Minshew seemed like a logical bridge or stopgap QB heading into last offseason. Assuming the QB ends up reaching free agency via his release, he may have to settle into a similar backup role he had with the Eagles in 2021 and 2022.

With Pete Carroll and John Spytek now running the operation (along with Tom Brady‘s heavy influence), it seemed very unlikely that the Raiders would roll into the 2025 campaign with the same QB grouping. O’Connell still remains under contract, but the organization will surely be looking for some reinforcement at the position. The team has already been connected to a handful of veteran options, including Russell Wilson, Sam Darnold, and Marcus Mariota. The Raiders are also armed with the sixth-overall pick and could be in position to select one of the draft’s top QB prospects.

Jon Feliciano Intends To Retire; OL Open To Midseason Return

February 20th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

After being unable to play in 2024, Jon Feliciano is set to end his career. The veteran offensive lineman announced on Thursday that he is hanging up his cleats (albeit with a caveat).

Feliciano was with the Raiders from 2015-18, and his first trip to free agency saw him sign with the Bills. The former fourth-rounder operated as a full-time starter during his three Buffalo seasons, although each of the latter two saw him limited to just nine games. A single campaign with the Giants was followed by Feliciano playing for the 49ers in 2023.

The Miami product made 15 appearances and seven starts for San Francisco that season, but a knee injury suffered during training camp this past summer made he clear he would not be able to suit up at the beginning of the 2024 campaign. The rehab process did not go according to plan, and in November Feliciano was shut down for the year. While he is leaving the door open to a return late in 2025, he is now mainly turning his attention to his post-playing days as a result.

After months of weighing my options, I realized I had to leave the game,” Feliciano’s announcement reads in part. “The fire is still there, but I know I can’t last a full season and can’t bring myself to let people down… That being said, Buffalo or [San Francisco], I’ll be ready for a playoff run in December if you need me.”

The Bills’ O-line has been one of the league’s best over the past two yeas, and none of their starters are pending free agents. The 49ers, by contrast, could be in the market for interior additions during the offseason and underwhelming play from that unit (or injuries, of course) could leave the door open to a Feliciano signing. For now, though, it can be assumed he has played his last snap in the NFL.

The 33-year-old has amassed 125 combined regular and postseason appearances during his career, with 70 of those being starts. Feliciano has earned nearly $24MM to date, and that figure could still increase if he winds up signing with the Bills or 49ers late next season. Failing that, however, he will close the book on his NFL tenure.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/18/25

February 18th, 2025 at 7:37pm CST by Ely Allen

We had a number of minor moves today in the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Raiders, Assistant GM Champ Kelly Part Ways

February 17th, 2025 at 5:46pm CST by Ben Levine

With John Spytek taking over the front office in Las Vegas, the Raiders are making some significant changes to their operations. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Raiders and assistant general manager Champ Kelly have mutually agreed to part ways.

Spytek would have represented the third GM that Kelly has worked under during his short stay with the organization, so it’s not a surprise that the assistant is looking for a fresh start elsewhere. The executive interviewed for the GM role in 2022, and he was hired as the assistant after the organization opted for Dave Ziegler. He took over as interim GM when his boss was canned in 2023, but he once again landed in an assistant role when the team added Tom Telesco last offseason.

During his time in Las Vegas, Kelly was credited with helping to retool a roster that sorely needed some upside on both offense and defense. He helped build an impressive group of offensive skill players like Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers (and later Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker), and his defensive wins include the likes of Robert Spillane, Tyree Wilson, and Jack Jones.

The veteran executive got his NFL start with the Broncos in 2007, where he worked his way up from a college scout to assistant director of pro personnel. He joined the Bears in 2015 as their director of pro scouting, a role he held for two years before transitioning to assistant director of player personnel.

Despite his inability to earn the top front office role, Kelly hass still been a popular name on the interview circuit. He interviewed for the Jaguars job earlier this offseason, and besides his numerous interviews with the Raiders, he also received previous interest from the Broncos and Panthers. Considering his track record, it shouldn’t take long for Kelly to land on his feet.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 15th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency is roughly one month away, and teams are preparing for the first major roster-building checkpoint on the offseason calendar. In several cases, of course, the lead-in to the start of the new league year will require cost-cutting measures.

Teams expect the 2025 cap ceiling to check in somewhere between $265MM and $275MM, providing a general target to aim for before the final figure is unveiled by the NFL. Using a projected cap of $272.5MM, here is a look at where all 32 teams currently stand (courtesy of Over the Cap):

  1. New England Patriots: $119.8MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $92.53MM
  3. Washington Commanders: $75.21MM
  4. Arizona Cardinals: $71.33MM
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41MM
  6. Chicago Bears: $62.97MM
  7. Minnesota Vikings: $58.01MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26MM
  9. Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26MM
  10. Detroit Lions: $45.69MM
  11. San Francisco 49ers: $44.26MM
  12. Tennessee Titans: $44.08MM
  13. New York Giants: $43.38MM
  14. Green Bay Packers: $42.14MM
  15. Los Angeles Rams: $38.33MM
  16. Denver Broncos: $34.78MM
  17. Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27MM
  18. Indianapolis Colts: $28.25MM
  19. Carolina Panthers: $20.33MM
  20. Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08MM
  21. New York Jets: $16.86MM
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $5.96MM
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24MM
  24. Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
  25. Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
  26. Dallas Cowboys: $2.85MM over
  27. Miami Dolphins: $5.44MM over
  28. Atlanta Falcons: $11.15MM over
  29. Seattle Seahawks: $13.46MM over
  30. Buffalo Bills: $14.18MM over
  31. Cleveland Browns: $30.17MM over
  32. New Orleans Saints: $54.11MM over

These figures will of course change based on where the final cap ceiling winds up for the year, but they take into account each team’s carryover amount for 2025. Even with those savings in play, more than one quarter of the league finds itself in need of cost-shedding moves to simply achieve cap compliance by mid-March.

With the Patriots leading the way in terms of spending power, they will be a team to watch closely once free agency begins. The team’s willingness (or lack thereof) to make major free agent additions last year was a talking point, and it will be interesting to see if the regime featuring de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Mike Vrabel takes a different approach in 2025. A serious push for Tee Higgins – by far the most sought-after wideout set to hit the market – can be expected.

Aside from Higgins, the Bengals have a number of financial priorities. Working out a monster extension for fellow receiver Ja’Marr Chase and a new deal (and accompanying raise) for edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are key goals for the franchise. Quarterback Joe Burrow is prepared to restructure his own pact to create cap space for this offseason, but the team will no doubt need to break with tradition in terms of contract structure and guarantees to keep its core intact.

The Colts’ offseason has been defined in large part by a focus on retaining in-house players during recent years. That approach has not paid off as hoped, and general manager Chris Ballard said last month he plans to oversee a shift in roster-building philosophy this year. With the finances to make at least a modest addition or two on the open market, Indianapolis could be a suitor for some of the middle-class free agent options.

Over the coming weeks, many teams will proceed with extensions and restructures to free up cap space; the Seahawks recently took the latter route with defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Teams like the Steelers (in the case of edge rusher Preston Smith) and Dolphins (with running back Raheem Mostert as well as corner Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe) have already begin cutting veterans to free up cap space. That will increasingly continue in the near future with respect to the teams currently slated to be over the cap in particular.

Jaguars Interview Champ Kelly For GM

February 14th, 2025 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars have added one more name in their search to replace former general manager Trent Baalke. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly has concluded the team’s first round of interviews with a meeting today.

Kelly was expected to be a popular candidate for general manager jobs in last year’s cycle. While he didn’t find interest everywhere, he did end up interviewing for the open role in Carolina last year that went to Dan Morgan. After acting as the interim general manager for the Raiders in 2023, he also was interviewed to step into the official role in Las Vegas, but when the role eventually went to Tom Telesco, Kelly remained in his role as assistant general manager.

This was the second time Kelly came up short in the GM-race for the Raiders. Kelly was also considered a top candidate for the Raiders’ position when the team hired Dave Ziegler, whom he would eventually replace in an interim role.

Kelly came on as the team’s assistant GM, and together with Ziegler, Las Vegas worked hard to rebuild a defense that had been worn thin and bring in top offensive talent like wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers. The defense now holds promising players like Robert Spillane, Tyree Wilson, and Jack Jones, while youth also blooms on the offensive side of the ball in players like stud rookie tight end Brock Bowers and second-year wide receiver Tre Tucker.

After making the rounds with two interviews in 2024, Kelly didn’t draw as much interest in 2025. This is the first job for which he’s been interviewed this offseason. He becomes the 11th candidate reported for the job in Jacksonville and the 10th candidate to interview.

Here’s how the Jaguars’ general manager search is shaping up so far:

Sources Expect Titans To Trade No. 1 Overall Pick; Latest On Browns’, Giants’ QB Plans

February 14th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Rory Parks

FEBRUARY 14: The Titans are still trending towards trading the first overall pick in the 2025 Draft.

Of a panel of eight executives, coaches, and scouts, five believe that Tennessee will trade down to add more draft capital, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, while three believe that they will stay at No. 1 and, most likely, pick a quarterback.

Their decision represents competing beliefs about how to utilize the top pick in the draft while rebuilding a franchise. Multiple members of the panel pointed out that the Titans’ roster needs go far beyond a quarterback. Trading back would allow them to build a better long-term situation for a future franchise signal-caller.

However, the first overall pick is a rare opportunity, and six of the last seven have been used on a quarterback.

“You have to make it count and get your quarterback,” said one assistant coach. “I think that’s what the Titans will do. Keep the top pick and draft Cam Ward.”

FEBRUARY 9: New Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi already indicated during his introductory press conference several weeks ago that his club is open to the possibility of trading the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Multiple sources tell ESPN’s Dan Graziano they believe Tennessee will do just that (subscription required).

The logic to a trade-down maneuver is clear. The Titans have plenty of holes to fill on their roster, and unless they become convinced one of the top signal-caller prospects in this year’s draft class (Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward) is their surefire QB of the future, moving down to collect additional draft capital makes plenty of sense. 

Of course, Borgonzi & Co. are doing their due diligence on Sanders and Ward, and president of football operations Chad Brinker – who has final say over personnel matters, although Borgonzi will run the draft – indicated the team will not pass on a generational talent with the No. 1 pick. In other words, even if the Titans do not think highly enough of Sanders or Ward to make one of them the top overall pick in April, a non-QB blue-chipper like Travis Hunter could still convince Tennessee to retain its coveted position atop the draft board.

If the Titans do not select a QB with their first choice, regardless of where that selection might fall, Graziano notes that a free agent passer like Sam Darnold or Justin Fields could be in play. Or, Tennessee could simply elect to give 2023 second-rounder Will Levis one more shot to prove that he can be the solution under center.

The Browns (No. 2 overall), Giants (No. 3), Raiders (No. 6), and Jets (No. 7) all profile as potential trading partners for the Titans. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who confirms that Tennessee brass is keeping an open mind here, adds the Saints (No. 9) to the list of teams that could engage in trade talks.

Cleveland would not have to move too far up the board to assure itself of its top choice of quarterback prospects, and as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (video link) reiterates, the Browns are expected to draft a passer and would have done so even if Deshaun Watson had not suffered a second Achilles tear that puts his 2025 season in jeopardy. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (subscription required), Browns GM Andrew Berry believes a long-term starter can be found in this year’s much-maligned crop of collegiate QBs, even beyond the Sanders/Ward tier (although Berry naturally would not suggest otherwise at this point). 

Pelissero adds that, no matter when Berry plans to pull the trigger on a college quarterback, Cleveland is also expected to add a veteran at the position. He names Kirk Cousins and Daniel Jones as players to watch in that scenario.

In the same video link cited above, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says the Giants – whose only QB under contract at the moment is Tommy DeVito – will likewise be active in the veteran signal-caller market in advance of the draft. Garafolo confirms Darnold will be an option for Big Blue, and the team could again be on Russell Wilson’s radar (a sentiment echoed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (see Graziano link above)). 

Giants owner John Mara said last month he is open to resolving his club’s QB concerns with a veteran and/or a draft pick, though he appeared to suggest a prospect was the preferred route. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believes Mara’s team will try to move up to either the No. 1 or No. 2 slot to select a quarterback, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic thinks there is a good chance the Titans and Giants will strike a No. 1-for-No. 3 swap.

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