Las Vegas Raiders: Daniel Carlson has earned a long-term deal

The Las Vegas Raiders have an outstanding young kicker in Daniel Carlson, and they should look to sign him to a long-term deal.

During the 2018 NFL season, the then-Oakland Raiders signed Daniel Carlson early on in the year, as he was released by the Minnesota Vikings in September. The move was a bit shocking, as while he was struggling, he was also a rookie, and had actually been a fifth-round pick of the team that year.

With the Raiders, Carlson dominated, showing the kind of leg that made him one of the greatest kickers in SEC history during his time at Auburn. Since coming aboard, Carlson has become a very reliable piece for head coach Jon Gruden, and the team should look to sign him to a long-term deal sooner than later.

Recently, the Raiders have placed a second-round tender on Carlson, which essentially means that any team that signs him will have to give the Raiders a second-round pick. For a kicker, that is not going to happen, so Carlson will be back with the team in 2021, as they bring back someone who was nearly automatic last season.

For the long-term, the Raiders have to find a way to lock him up, possibly signing him to a three-year deal, and taking care of this important position for the next few seasons.

Raiders have a young star kicker in Daniel Carlson

The Raiders will have much more cap space next offseason, which is when they will likely get the deal done for Carlson. If he performs the way he did in 2020, when he made 33-of-35, then a deal becomes almost a given, and rightfully so.

Las Vegas, then-Oakland, struggled after Sebastian Janikowski was done kicking for the team, and Carlson was a breath of fresh air. He may have struggled a bit in 2019, but he was clutch in 2020 and was even named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December, a nice way to close out his third season with the franchise.

Carlson can do one of two things this offseason, he can sign a one-year, $3.384 million contract, or try and lock in on a long-term deal. He has been outstanding since putting on the Silver and Black, and the team should definitely make him a big part of their future.