Raiders offseason primer: What to know about free agency, draft picks
The Raiders are expected to be one of the NFL’s busier teams this offseason, given their search for a coach and general manager could stretch into February.
It’s nothing new for one of the league’s least-stable franchises. Owner Mark Davis is hiring his fifth coach and general manager since moving the team to Las Vegas in 2020, including those with interim tags.
So while many organizations are taking some time off after the 2024 season, the Raiders are just getting started. Here is a look at some of the important things the team needs to accomplish before kicking off the 2025 campaign in September:
Hiring process
The Raiders’ searches could take some time given new NFL rules that slow down the hiring process. There are restrictions on when interviews can be conducted with coaches on teams still in the playoffs.
For example, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson talked with the Raiders virtually Jan. 10. He can’t speak with the club again until Detroit gets eliminated, or, if the Lions make the Super Bowl, the week after the conference championship games.
Likewise, the Raiders can’t sign Johnson to a contract until his season is done. That means they could be waiting as long as Feb. 10, the day after Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, to get their new coach in place.
College showcases
The Raiders will want to get their front office leadership sorted out soon. The draft process heats up in a few weeks.
The East-West Shrine Bowl will take place Jan. 30 in Dallas. The Senior Bowl will be held Feb. 1 in Mobile, Alabama. Both events are considered important showcases for college prospects as they try to impress NFL evaluators.
The league’s annual scouting combine will run from Feb. 24 to March 3 in Indianapolis.
Free agency
Free agents can start signing with teams at 1 p.m. March 12, though they can begin negotiating with clubs March 10.
The Raiders are expected to be active.
They have 27 pending free agents. Seventeen of them — running back Ameer Abdullah, tight end Harrison Bryant, defensive tackle Adam Butler, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, linebacker Divine Deablo, safety Marcus Epps, cornerback Nate Hobbs, cornerback Darnay Holmes, defensive tackle John Jenkins, defensive end Malcolm Koonce, wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr., running back Alexander Mattison, safety Tre’von Moehrig, offensive lineman Andrus Peat, defensive end Janarius Robinson, linebacker Robert Spillane and left guard Cody Whitehair — are unrestricted, meaning they can sign wherever they want to.
The Raiders also have five restricted free agents and six exclusive rights free agents.
They will retain the right to match any contract for their RFAs — defensive tackle Zach Carter, linebacker Luke Masterson, safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, quarterback Desmond Ridder and wide receiver DJ Turner — if they give them a qualifying offer.
They can keep their ERFAs — defensive tackle Matthew Butler, cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, linebacker Kana’i Mauga, right guard Jordan Meredith, defensive end Charles Snowden and cornerback Sam Webb — by offering them a one-year deal at the NFL minimum salary.
The Raiders have enough money to bring back the players they want to. Salary-cap numbers are not official yet, but they are projected to have almost $100 million to work with. The only team that should have more spending power is the Patriots.
The Raiders will have enough left over to make a splash in free agency if they choose to. They could also give extensions to players already under contract like star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.
Offseason workouts
The Raiders can begin their offseason workouts April 7, two weeks earlier than teams with returning coaches.
Workouts will continue through the summer, though it’s unclear where the club will hold training camp this year. Former general manager Tom Telesco, who was fired Jan. 9, helped get last year’s camp moved to Costa Mesa, California. The next administration will need to decide whether the Raiders will leave Nevada again or return to their home facility in Henderson.
NFL draft/schedule
The Raiders have the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, which will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
It will be their highest selection since taking defensive end Clelin Ferrell fourth overall in 2019.
The Raiders are scheduled to have 10 picks in total, with two coming in the third round and three in the sixth.
The team’s 2025 schedule will come out in May. The Raiders’ opponents are already set. In addition to playing their division foes — the Broncos, Chargers and Chiefs — home and away, they’ll host the Bears, Browns, Cowboys, Giants, Jaguars and Titans and travel to face the Colts, Commanders, Eagles, Patriots and Texans.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.