The Las Vegas Raiders went into their Week 8 bye on the lowest of notes, as they were shut out by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Somehow, Pete Carroll didn't see a result like that coming, as if his team was capable of competing with the defending AFC champions.
While the bye week is an easy evaluation point, it's hard to know if Carroll will be inclined to make noticeable changes. His comments when asked about playing young players more after the bye suggested he didn't quite get the concept of the question.
Beyond any clips that surface on social media, Raiders fans can't see what goes on during practice. So, getting younger players more work during practice means nothing, and when the second half of a lost season commences, it's time to see what those younger players have to offer in a game setting.
While that's against the grain of what Carroll would like to do, the "win now" ship has long sailed for 2025. If Carroll can't acknowledge a lost season like this, that's another problem in and of itself.
There's a natural focus on rookies and younger players in terms of who should play more for the Silver and Black when they come back from the bye. But the list of players who should play more extends even further.
8 Raiders who should play more after the bye week
Jamal Adams, LB
Adams has been a nice find for the Raiders, and he's had a career resurgence as a versatile piece of Patrick Graham's defense. His raw production doesn't leap off the page with 21 total tackles, one sack, and two tackles for a loss, but Pro Football Focus has been high on his work.
In a certain sense, with a youth movement in mind, Adams could be a tradeable asset as the November 4 deadline approaches. Adams has deservedly been playing more, which culminated in him playing two-thirds of the defensive snaps against the Chiefs in the game before the bye.
That level of playing time might not be sustainable, but it would be nice to see Adams consistently play around half of the defensive snaps in Week 9 and beyond. If not for the idea that he could be traded, Adams would be higher on this list.
Charles Snowden, EDGE
If he had enough snaps to qualify, Snowden would have top-25 overall and pass rush grades from PFF among edge rushers, and his pass rush win rate would be just outside the top 30. But he has played just 58 snaps over the five games he has suited up for in 2025.
With Maxx Crosby dealing with injuries to his knee and back, Crosby should not play again until he's 100% healthy. That would naturally open up playing time for other edge rushers, and Snowden would, of course, then be lined up to see the field more.
Charles Grant, OT
With Kolton Miller out for the foreseeable future, the Raiders have turned to Stone Forsythe at left tackle. The veteran tackle with a questionable track record has performed about as well as expected, which is to say poorly.
Grant was clearly a developmental pick when the Raiders took him in the third round of April's draft out of William & Mary. That's also why he should get a chance to play left tackle until Miller is back. It's not like he could be any worse than Forsythe has been, and Grant needs to learn on the job.
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JJ Pegues & Tonka Hemingway, DT
We're doubling up on the rookie defensive tackles here. Hemingway and Pegues have combined to play 53 defensive snaps this season, and 26 of them (14 for Hemingway, 12 for Pegues) came in the 40-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.
PFF isn't very complimentary of his work, but Jonah Laulu is tied for the team lead with four sacks. Leki Fotu has not been all that impactful, and Adam Butler has struggled, too, after a significant offseason investment was made in him.
It's time to try something new on the interior defensive line, and giving Hemingway and Pegues a chance is a clear way to do that. Beyond anything he can offer playing his normal position, Pegues could also be an interesting gadget player on offense, as he had seven rushing touchdowns last season at Ole Miss.
Jack Bech & Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR
Over the first six games of the season, playing time for the Raiders' top rookie wide receivers was an either-or game. Through the first four contests, Thornton played 165 offensive snaps while Bech played just 30.
Carroll called for Bech to play more heading into Week 5, and over the following two games, he played 82 offensive snaps to Thornton's 34. In the game against the Chiefs, fans got a preview of what would come if Jakobi Meyers is traded.
With Meyers out due to injury, Thornton played 30 offensive snaps against the Chiefs while Bech played 22. Trading Meyers would clearly pave the path for Bech and Thornton to play more, and it should probably happen even if Meyers is still a Raider after the trade deadline.
Darien Porter, CB
Porter has played fairly well when given the chance so far in his rookie season. Unfortunately, he has played more than 20 defensive snaps in just one game, while he has played zero defensive snaps three times.
Meanwhile, Kyu Blu Kelly has played 93.3 percent of the Raiders' defensive snaps through seven games. He has also legitimately been one of the worst cornerbacks in the league, including, according to PFF, allowing the most receiving yards of anyone at the position with 399.
To put it simply, Kelly has done nothing to deserve playing as much as he has gotten to. Reducing his playing time is the lowest-hanging fruit for the Raiders coming out of the bye, and if it doesn't happen, the reasoning will be nothing but flimsy.