With the chaos of the 2026 NFL free agency period's first week now a thing of the past, any roster moves, no matter how big or insignificant, will filter in like raindrops. It won't be a flood of decisions like the ones that the Las Vegas Raiders made when the legal tampering period opened on Monday.
Now that the smoke has cleared from that chaos, the Silver and Black look like a substantially different team. Although plenty of tinkering is left to be done, and nobody knows exactly how things will pan out, let's take a look at some of the Raiders' winners and losers from the onslaught of moves.
Winners and losers from Raiders' hectic week of 2026 NFL free agency
Winners
1. Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty comes out as a winner for two reasons: One is that Las Vegas went out and got Tyler Linderbaum, one of the best centers in the league, and someone who will single-handedly transform the rushing attack. They also neglected to add a big-ticket running back to serve as his complement, so for now, Jeanty appears to be a one-man show, destined to eat up all the touches once again.
2. Linebacker room
The Raiders very quickly went from a starting tandem of Devin White and Elandon Roberts to Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean. That's as big an upgrade as any NFL team had at any one position group last week. Walker and Dean are substantially younger and more versatile than the aforementioned two, so Las Vegas shouldn't have a hole in the middle of its defense again next year.
3. Rob Leonard
Leonard, as we mentioned, got a great duo of linebackers to anchor the center of his defense. But he also got to see Eric Stokes and Malcolm Koonce re-sign, as well as Kwity Paye get added from outside the building. Oh, and Maxx Crosby is now back in the fold, so the first-year defensive coordinator got some serious weapons for his unit. That'll flatten the learning curve.
4. Fernando Mendoza
Now, Mendoza isn't a Raider yet. But if he does get selected in April, as everyone expects, he doesn't currently have any kind of veteran competition in the building in Las Vegas. They went out and got an elite center for him, improved the run game as a result, and got a pass-catching weapon in Jalen Nailor. The situation Mendoza may be walking into isn't perfect, but it vastly improved last week.
5. Youth competing for starting job or role
Las Vegas made some big additions, but they didn't get surefire starters everywhere. As it stands now, Caleb Rogers and Darien Porter are penciled into the starting lineup, and players like Tommy Eichenberg, Dylan Laube, Charles Grant, Jack Bech, and Dont'e Thornton Jr. are in line to compete for significant roles. More additions will come, but they survived the first wave without being buried.
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Losers
1. Raiders' free agent class
Everybody knew that the Raiders had a talent issue last season. But it's a bit embarrassing when only four of your players even get a contract elsewhere. Dylan Parham got paid by the New York Jets, but Kenny Pickett and Stone Forsythe signed with the Carolina Panthers, and Lonnie Johnson with the Miami Dolphins, all for very cheap. The other 16 free agents remain unsigned, which says a lot.
2. Maxx Crosby
No matter how one slices it, this whole ordeal was quite embarrassing for Crosby. I know he's excited to be back in Las Vegas, but it was leaked that Crosby asked for a trade. It'll be hard to put the tube back into the toothpaste for a lot of fans. Plus, the Baltimore Ravens either didn't want him as badly as they did Trey Hendrickson, or his knee really looks that bad. I'm sure he'll be fine. But a rough week.
3. Daniel Carlson
Not only has Carlson not been re-signed by the Raiders, but he hasn't agreed to a contract with anyone. In the meantime, John Spytek and Co. went out and signed veteran kicker Matt Gay, effectively ending Carlson's tenure with the Silver and Black. Surely, he'll land on his feet elsewhere. But this marks the end of an era in Las Vegas for him. At least he went out with a bang.