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WR Jakobi Meyers Wants To Re-Sign With Raiders

May 30th, 2025 at 6:03pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jakobi Meyers is entering the final year of his contract with the Raiders, but he would prefer to stay in Las Vegas past 2025.

“I want to be here for sure, but that’s all I can really say on it right now,” said Meyers (via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed). “That’s business between us and the top floor, so I’ma just hold that one down for now.”

Meyers eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career last season despite inconsistent quarterback play from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. His 68.5 yards per game ranked 19th among all players in 2024, though he only reeled in four touchdowns with a 55.8% catch rate right around his career average.

The 28-year-old signed with the Raiders on a three-year, $33MM contract ($16MM fully guaranteed) in 2023, an impressive haul for a former undrafted free agent. The receiver market has increased since then, though an explosion in top WR salaries may not be as much of a boost to a mid-tier player like Meyers. However, he could play himself into a bigger payday with the addition of Geno Smith, his best quarterback since his 2019 rookie season with now-Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in New England.

The Raiders only have only one non-rookie wideout under contract through 2026: Tre Tucker, who had an encouraging second season in 2024 but may not be ready for a WR1 role. Even if they invest in premium receiving talent via free agency and/or the draft next offseason, Meyers would still be a productive, versatile WR2 who’s already familiar with the offense. His $11MM APY adjusted for cap inflation would be $13.66MM in 2025, just outside of the top 25 at the position. Another strong effort this year could push Meyers north of $15MM, so the Raiders may try to sign him before the season to get a bargain in the long term.

Meyers’ current contract is set to void five days after Super Bowl, per OverTheCap, though the two sides could push that date back to give them more time for negotiations. He would count for $4.318MM in dead money against the Raiders’ 2026 salary cap if he isn’t extended before his contract voids.

2025 NFL Trades

May 28th, 2025 at 9:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. While the Cowboys and Steelers’ George Pickens swap showed moves can be made at other points on the NFL calendar, early March, the draft, the 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. On that note, it is a good time to check in on what has transpired on the trade market between windows two and three.

Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2025:

March 1

49ers chose running back Jordan James at 147

March 4

Rams traded pick to Vikings, moving up to No. 172 for linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

March 5

March 6

March 7

Seahawks chose quarterback Jalen Milroe at 92

March 9

Seahawks used No. 52 to trade up (via the Titans) 17 spots for safety Nick Emmanwori, drafted running back Damien Martinez at 223; Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard at 185

March 10

Texans added wide receiver Jaylin Noel at 79, sent 236 to Jaguars in Day 2 trade; Commanders chose wideout Jaylin Lane at No. 128 

Eagles used No. 164 to climb one spot (via Chiefs) in first round for linebacker Jihaad Campbell

March 11

March 12

Bills took Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock at 170; Cowboys chose guard Ajani Cornelius at No. 204

Titans drafted running back Kalel Mullings at No. 188; Cowboys chose running back Phil Mafah at 239

March 13

March 15

Vikings packaged No. 187 in trade-down move (via Texans); 49ers drafted safety Marques Sigle at 160

April 3

Patriots traded down from No. 171 (via Lions) to draft kicker Andres Borregales; Cowboys chose defensive tackle Jay Toia at 217

April 26

Seahawks selected defensive lineman Rylie Mills at No. 142; Vikings traded No. 172 to Rams

May 7

June 2

Pick could upgrade to fourth-rounder if performance-based conditions are met

Raiders, P A.J. Cole Agree To Extension

May 26th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

A.J. Cole‘s tenure with the Raiders will continue for the foreseeable future. The veteran punter agreed to an extension on Monday, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

This will be a four-year, $15.8MM deal, per Schultz. The pact includes $11MM in guarantees and makes Cole the NFL’s highest-paid punter in terms of annual compensation. The 29-year-old is now under contract with the Raiders through 2029.

This is Cole’s second extension with the organization. Midway through the 2021 campaign, he inked a four-year, $12MM deal. This latest agreement represents a slight raise in terms of AAV and moves him ahead of the Seahawks’ Michael Dickson ($3.67MM) in that respect. Cole did not receive a Pro Bowl nod in 2024, but he did for each of the three prior seasons.

That stretch also included a pair of first-team All-Pro nods, an indication of Cole’s success during his Raiders tenure. The former UDFA has posted a gross average of 50 yards per punt or more three times since 2021, and in each of the past two seasons he has set a new career high in that regard. In terms of net average, Cole steadily improved early in his career and he has remained consistent for several years.

“I love the organization, I love the fans and I love Las Vegas,” Cole said while reflecting on the deal in a conversation with Schultz. “I told my agents: I want to be here for a long time. I want to play until I’m 40. I want to play forever.”

Cole certainly has a long way to go to remain in the NFL by that age, but the first six years of his career have been highly successful. He is on track to continue operating as one of the league’s top punters for years to come, and the new Raiders regime has ensured that will still take place with him in Vegas.

Jordan Meredith, Dylan Parham To Battle For Raiders’ LG Job

May 26th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Raiders underwent a transformation this offseason, hiring a new head coach and general manager in Pete Carroll and John Spytek and trading for Geno Smith to start at quarterback.

Their offensive line will be more of a constant with five returning players who were on the field for at least 50% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2024: Kolton Miller, Jordan Meredith, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham, and Delmar Glaze. Those five were also the Raiders’ starters (from left to right) to close the season.

There was some turnover; veteran center Andre James signed with the Chargers in free agency and former Bengals and Buccaneers guard Alex Cappa arrived in Las Vegas on a two-year, $11MM deal. Cappa is expected to take over at right guard with Powers-Johnson staying at center, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, setting up a competition between Parham and Meredith for the starting left guard job.

With significantly more experience as a starter, Parham should have pole position. The 2022 third-rounder started all 34 regular-season games at right guard in the first two years of his career and added 14 more in 2024. He missed two games due to injury and finished the season with 882 total snaps, which upgraded his 2025 salary to $3.656MM via the league’s Proven Performance Escalator system. Parham has minimal NFL experience at left guard, but he started 28 games there during his college career at Memphis.

Meredith didn’t earn a starting job out of training camp last year, but stepped into a starting role when Parham went down with a foot injury. He stayed in the starting lineup by moving to left guard in Week 9 after Powers-Johnson took over for James at center. Meredith finished the season with six starts (365 total snaps) at left and two starts (209 total snaps) at right guard, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He is in the final year of his UDFA contract, but can be retained as a restricted free agent for the 2026 season.

If Parham can successfully flip to the left side, he should be able to hold onto a starting job for the fourth year in a row, with Meredith likely backing up both guard spots as he did last season.

Raiders DT Christian Wilkins Unlikely To Be Cleared Before Training Camp

May 22nd, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Christian Wilkins was limited to just five games during his debut season with the Raiders due to a Jones fracture. Surgery in October shut him down for the remainder of the campaign, and things have not gone smoothly with respect to his rehab process.

Wilkins’ left foot has been in and out of a walking boot since the procedure, as noted by Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). The big-ticket 2024 free agent addition was mentioned last month as a candidate to miss time during the coming season based on his status at the time. With Wilkins not taking part in spring practices, it is clear he still has plenty of work to do to suit up for Week 1.

“This has been a difficult recovery,” head coach Pete Carroll said when speaking about Wilkins’ situation (via Tafur). “He’s done everything he needs to do. He’s been here every day… We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process here. Fortunately, there’s a lot of time.”

April’s update suggested a second procedure took place, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes Wilkins is dealing with a setback. The screw inserted into the 29-year-old’s foot may have broken, or Wilkins may have re-fractured to bone which was initially injured. The latter scenario is rare, but in either case Bonsignore adds a return to full health should not be expected until August.

That timeline would leave the former Dolphin sidelined for the remainder of OTAs and minicamp through the start of training camp in July. Wilkins being back to 100% by that point would still leave plenty of time for him to prepare for the season, of course, but in the meantime his absence will be felt on a Raiders team which added him on a four-year, $110MM contract last March. That pact was restructured this offseason in a move which created $15MM in cap room but left high expectations for the former first-rounder upon return.

Vegas still has veteran Adam Butler in place along the defensive line, and the team made a pair of additions during the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft (Tonka Hemingway, J.J. Pegues). That group’s performance will depend in large part on Wilkins delivering on expectations this year, of course, but given his current status it remains to be seen how much time he will spend on the field during training camp.

The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History

May 21st, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.

The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.

Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees

Carolina Panthers

Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)

Los Angeles Chargers

Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal

Los Angeles Rams

Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)

Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)

NFL Minor Transactions: 5/21/25

May 21st, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Russell heads to Arizona after three seasons in Tampa Bay. So far, with his time in the league, Russell has improved upon his contributions as a player each season. In three years with the Bucs, Russell made four starts and logged 49 tackles.

Tasi arrives in Vegas via the league’s International Player Pathway program. The Australian native is a former rugby player of Samoan descent. The Raiders’ website lists him as a defensive lineman, but Tashan Reed of The Athletic noted that he was being utilized on offense today, as well.

AFC West Notes: OL, Chargers, Chiefs, Carroll, Broncos

May 18th, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Bradley Bozeman has been a starting center in the NFL for most of the past four seasons. He has never graded out as one of the NFL’s best centers, though, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so the Chargers are starting to experiment with lining former first-round pick Zion Johnson up at center in 2025, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, bumping Bozeman out to left guard.

Starting as a backup center with the Ravens in 2018, Bozeman was bumped out to left guard so that he could be in the starting lineup in his sophomore season with the team. In the final year of his rookie contract, Baltimore moved Bozeman back to center. As a free agent he signed a one-year deal as a backup to Pat Elflein in Carolina, earning the starting gig when Elflein went out with a season-ending injury. After he stepped up, Carolina extended him to a three-year, $18MM extension but released him just a year later. He rebounded by signing with the Chargers, who, like the Panthers, gave him an extension after his first year with the team.

Johnson has yet to live up to his first-round status in Los Angeles; the Chargers declined his fifth-year option this month. He took over as a starter immediately as a rookie but has been only average at left guard. While it may not result in a permanent switch, it makes sense for the Chargers to at least try swapping Johnson and Bozeman. Neither has been outstanding at their initial positions, and working in a new spot may help one or both players be more comfortable moving forward. With Mekhi Becton improving the right guard spot as he joins a pretty great tackle pair in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, the Chargers will hope that the swap results in an upgrade to their two weaker offensive line positions.

Here are a few more offseason rumors from around the AFC West:

  • In a slightly similar situation, the Raiders will be cross-training rookie tackle Charles Grant in hopes that he can serve as the team’s swing tackle, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. Las Vegas used back-to-back picks on offensive tackles in the third round back in April, selecting Grant right after drafting Texas Tech’s Caleb Rogers. Rogers may end up getting more looks on the interior as a pro, while the Raiders plan on Grant being an option to play at both tackle spots. Grant spent all five years of his time at William & Mary as a left tackle, but with Kolton Miller entrenched in that starting spot, Grant’s best path to playing time is to compete with second-year right tackle DJ Glaze. It’s not easy to switch from side to side at tackle in the NFL, so Vegas will experiment with Grant at both spots to be safe. They’ll see how well he takes on the shift to the right side in order to determine if he can compete with Glaze, but if he can’t make the change, they’ll keep him working at left tackle, as well, as an option to backup Miller.
  • While Chiefs rookie offensive tackle Josh Simmons‘ slide to the last pick of the first round was credited in large part to medical red flags, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler informs us that “character concerns” were a bigger deterrent during the pre-draft process. Fowler asserts that most teams he consulted with were not overly concerned with the patellar tendon tear that ended Simmons’ 2024 campaign. Instead, concerns with his approach to practices and run blocking gave pause to teams with mid- to late-first-round picks.
  • In a recent Q&A, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal fielded a question about whether or not the eventual replacement for Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was already in the building. Carroll is currently on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, but if the 73-year-old skipper opted to hang up his headset after putting the team on the right track, Bonsignore does have an eye on a potential successor in the building. Carroll’s two sons are both currently on staff with him in Las Vegas; Brennan Carroll works as the team’s offensive line coach, while Nate Carroll serves as assistant quarterbacks coach. According to Bonsignore, the elder brother, Brennan, is an up-and-coming coach with experience as an offensive coordinator with two programs at the collegiate level. If the eldest Carroll boy is going to get an NFL head coaching opportunity, the cleanest path likely lies in Vegas.
  • As linebacker Alex Singleton continues striving to make his return from a midseason ACL tear, the Broncos have just been aiming to get him back in time for their 2025 season opener. In an update from Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post, it was reported that Singleton is on track to return in time for training camp. The former undrafted free agent has been increasingly impressive as he’s earned more and more responsibility during stints with the Eagles and Broncos. Even with the first major injury of his career, the 31-year-old continues to surpass expectations with a quick and smooth rehabilitation process.

Pete Carroll Addresses Seahawks Departure

May 17th, 2025 at 8:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

Shortly after the 2023 season ended, Pete Carroll made it clear he intended to spend at least one more year as the Seahawks’ head coach. That did not prove to be the case, however, with the organization electing to move in a different direction.

Just two days after Carroll publicly stated his goal of coaching a 15th season in Seattle, it was learned that would not be the case. In the end, Mike Macdonald was brought in as head coach with John Schneider remaining in place as general manager. The latter assumed final say on roster moves as a result of the transition, something Carroll recently confirmed as a key factor in his departure.

“It came to me that there was a time that we probably were about to face one of the bigger changes, shifts, in the time of the program, and I had really been dedicated, as John had been dedicated too… to doing this thing in great fashion together,” Carroll said during an appearance on Seattle Sports radio (video link). “We had done that, I thought, and it was really John’s turn, it was his turn to take over.”

As Carroll noted, owner Jody Allen‘s preference was for Schneider to become Seattle’s top decision-maker during the 2024 offseason. The 53-year-old joined the Seahawks in 2010 along with Carroll under the GM title, but this past campaign marked his first in his new capacity. Carroll, meanwhile, said last August he was content to stay out of coaching in the wake of his Seattle tenure coming to an end.

That stance changed over the course of this year’s hiring cycle, though. The 73-year-old became the NFL’s oldest head coaching hire when he joined the Raiders. That decision was influenced in no small part by the presence of minority owner Tom Brady, and that duo along with general manager John Spytek is now in place to oversee a roster transition. The exact power structure in Vegas is unclear, but the Spytek-Carroll tandem is expected to jointly oversee day-to-day operations.

In the case of the Seahawks, Schneider and Macdonald will look to build off last year’s 10-7 campaign and reach the postseason. Most of Schneider’s work for this offseason is done by now, but he has several more on the horizon as the leading figure in the organization.

Raiders Add Brandon Hunt To Front Office

May 15th, 2025 at 1:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Brandon Hunt‘s time with the Eagles has come to an end. He is the latest addition to the Raiders’ front office, as first reported by ESPN’s Ryan McFadden. The team has since announced the news.

Hunt will head to Vegas with the title of VP of player personnel. He had previously spent time as a key figure in the Eagles’ scouting department, serving as senior director of scouting in 2024. During the previous two years, Hunt held the title of scouting director.

Prior to his stint in Philadelphia, Hunt had a lengthy spell in Pittsburgh. That run from 2010-21 saw him operate as the Steelers’ pro scouting coordinator. As a result, Hunt represents a highly experienced addition to the Raiders’ new-look front office. Of course, this does not mark the first time an Eagles staffer has made the move to Vegas since the draft concluded.

Anthony Patch was hired last week to serve as the Raiders’ new senior personnel executive. That move ended his lengthy run with the Eagles, and the Super Bowl champions will now have even more work to do in terms of replacing high-level front office contributors. The new Raiders regime led by general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll and minority owner Tom Brady has made a number of notable changes recently, including the hiring of Brian Stark as assistant GM.

This latest move comes in the wake of recent departures in the Raiders’ front office. Per Neil Stratton of Inside the League, Curtis Knox will not be back with the franchise after working as Vegas’ personnel coordinator; likewise, Shaun Herock is no longer in place as the team’s senior personnel advisor. That department will have a number of new faces moving forward, with Hunt taking on a key role with his latest team.

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