When Pete Carroll and John Spytek were hired by the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason as the next head coach and general manager of the franchise, they took their respective jobs with the understanding that there was plenty of work to do with this roster.
The new regime already mitigated disaster by acquiring veteran quarterback Geno Smith from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. They also let several of the team's defensive starters from a season ago walk in free agency, but they made a handful of value signings and extended or re-signed multiple key pieces on the defensive line.
Now, with the bulk of free agency in the rearview mirror and the NFL Draft on the horizon, Las Vegas still has holes on the roster. However, it is not too late to fill in the gaps by signing any of the remaining free agents or selecting highly touted prospects in the draft.
On Monday, ESPN's Ryan McFadden provided four key positions that the Raiders still need to address before the season begins in September.
ESPN reveals 4 keys for rest of Raiders offseason
1. Find a No. 1 wide receiver
"Las Vegas needs to upgrade the offensive weapons around Smith," wrote McFadden. "Outside of those two players (Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers), the pass-catching production on the roster drops off significantly."
Tre Tucker has been a bit underwhelming thus far in his NFL career, and while Meyers had an incredible season last year, he is still not considered to be a true No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. There are a handful of viable options in free agency like Stefon Diggs or Amari Cooper, but the team may be better suited to select a player like Tetairoa McMillan in the draft.
2. Bolster the running back room in the draft
"The Raiders made progress in revamping their running back room last week, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran Raheem Mostert," wrote McFadden. "However, the best path forward after signing Moster is taking advantage of a deep running back draft class."
Mostert was a solid signing for Las Vegas, but it will take a lot more than just him to make the Raiders' rushing attack respectable again. Ashton Jeanty is picking up steam for the team's No. 6 pick, but there are a slew of mid-round options like Kaleb Johnson, Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson or Dylan Sampson, who could fill the void without wagering a first-round pick.
3. Strengthen the offensive line
"The Raiders have added veteran guard Alex Cappa to help improve the trenches. But there's still more work to be done," wrote McFadden. "Even though (head coach Pete) Carroll spoke highly of DJ Glaze, it wouldn't hurt the Raiders to add another offensive tackle to the mix."
Las Vegas does not have as big of a need on the offensive line as most people think. Kolton Miller is as solid as they come at left tackle, and Brennan Carroll, the team's new offensive line coach, should do a great job this year of developing a young trio of interior linemen. Cappa was a solid veteran addition, and Glaze could certainly use some competition at right tackle, but nothing about the offensive line situation is dire for the Raiders.
4. Add another piece at cornerback
"Even if (recently-signed free agent CB Eric) Stokes' best football is ahead of him, Las Vegas still needs to add to its secondary," wrote McFadden. "It wouldn't hurt to add another outside cornerback into the mix."
Having a top-flight cornerback makes a dramatic difference, and right now, the jury is out on whether or not the Raiders have one. Jakorian Bennett was a stud last season but spent the last seven games of the year sidelined with an injury. Jack Jones proved last year that he was not a No. 1 cornerback, and the team lost Nate Hobbs in free agency as well. Simply put, the team should add the best player they can find at the position, and my gut tells me that it could be Michigan's Will Johnson or Texas' Jahdae Barron at No. 6.