As roster cuts trickle in this offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders will monitor the free-agent pool before the new league year officially starts March 17. With the arrival of new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, general manager Mike Mayock should jump off to an early start in restructuring the defense.
As of February 22, the Raiders are $18.7 million over the base salary-cap limit, so they’ll also release multiple players before free agency starts next month.
Right now, we’ll take a look at what’s going on elsewhere. Assuming teams cut more notable players, which veterans belong on the Raiders’ radar?
As mentioned, Mayock should focus primarily on defense, but he may also consider guards if Richie Incognito becomes a cap casualty with no dead money left on the final year of his contract. Vegas can save $5.6 million in the event the team releases the 37-year-old who missed 14 games this past season because of an Achilles injury, which required surgery.
All of the players below are currently rostered with teams, but their cap number could cost them a roster spot. To provide perspective, we’ve listed the savings for each potential cut and analyzed their fit with the Raiders.