Lowered salary cap would affect Las Vegas Raiders in a big way in 2021
Two other key pieces on offense
For much of the 2020 offseason, a lot of talk swirled around whether or not the team would move on from starting right guard Gabe Jackson. While I do believe that the team was right in bringing him back for the 2020 NFL season, with the league possibly moving to a $175 million cap in 2021, his days could be numbered.
Jackson has a $9.6 million cap number next season, and like Mariota, has no dead cap if he is to be released. During the 2020 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected All-American John Simpson from Clemson, and he could be the long-term answer replacing either Jackson, or Richie Incognito next season.
On the outside, Tyrell Williams stepped up in a big way in 2019, filling in for Antonio Brown as the team’s WR1, and showed himself to be a touchdown machine before an injury robbed him of his season. With the Raiders drafting both Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards in the 2020 NFL Draft, Williams could be replaced in 2021 if the Raiders need cap space.
Williams has a cap number of $11.6 million next season, but the Raiders will owe no money if he is released. He is another player to keep an eye on if the cap does in fact drop.