4 free agents the Las Vegas Raiders should easily be willing to let leave

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 23: Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels talks with owner Mark Davis on the field prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Allegiant Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 23: Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels talks with owner Mark Davis on the field prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Allegiant Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Morris/Getty Images)
2 of 4
DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 20: Anthony Averett #29 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The Las Vegas Raiders won in overtime (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 20: Anthony Averett #29 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. The Las Vegas Raiders won in overtime (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

4 free agents the Las Vegas Raiders should easily be willing to let leave

Anthony Averett

In March of 2022, Ziegler began making moves to bolster the secondary, and a big move was signing Anthony Averett away from the Baltimore Ravens. Ziegler and his staff gave Averett a one-year deal worth $4.5 million, and to say he did not live up to that contract would be an understatement.

Averett ended up breaking his thumb in Week 1, resulting in a trip to the injured reserve, and while he came back later in the year, he would find himself on injured reserve once again. A healthy Averett may have made a difference for this Raiders secondary, but in the end, his tenure in Las Vegas was more about unavailability, and bad play when he was out there.

The expectation is that Ziegler is going to revamp the defense in a big way this offseason, and Averett is not someone likely to be back. He will find work somewhere else, as he is only 28 years old, but Las Vegas would be better off dipping back into a free agency pool that includes the likes of James Bradberry, Marcus Peters, or Jonathan Jones.

Schedule