The Las Vegas Raiders are knee-deep in their search for the franchise's next head coach. Surely, chief decision-makers John Spytek and Tom Brady will have their eyes peeled on this weekend's Conference Championship Games, as several of their presumed top candidates will be coaching.
While gathering as much information as possible on prospective head coaches will be critical, the Raiders also need to be studying players who are poised to hit the open market as free agents this coming offseason.
Plucking veterans from some of the best teams in the league is generally a good strategy in team building, and with just four squads remaining, Las Vegas is set to watch the cream of the crop on Sunday. Here are five players whom the pro scouting department should have their eyes on.
5 pending FAs playing in Conference Championship Raiders should target
1. K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, Patriots
Las Vegas let Chaisson leave the building this past offseason, and he wasted no time making them look foolish for it. Luckily, Chaisson has not yet been extended by New England, so the Raiders have a chance to right their previous wrong. Chaisson has stepped up in every big moment for the Patriots this year, and look for him to do so again on Sunday against Jarrett Stidham and the Denver Broncos.
2. Drake Thomas, LB, Seahawks
Sound familiar?
The Raiders brought in Thomas as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State back before the 2023 NFL season. After being the league's best linebacker in the preseason, Las Vegas didn't keep him around, and he has blossomed into a plus starter for Seattle. He's likely played his way into a big contract this offseason, and Las Vegas should be the ones to give it to him.
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3. Justin Strnad, LB, Broncos
Strnad doesn't get a lot of credit for Denver's immense defensive success, but he is a critical component of it. His numbers won't exactly wow anyone, but Strnad does everything well on a football field, and that should be on display this Sunday. This offseason, he could fill the major chasm that the Raiders currently have at linebacker. Taking from a divisional rival is always a bonus, too.
4. John Franklin-Myers, DT, Broncos
Franklin-Myers' name, like Strnad's, often slips through the cracks, with big names like Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen garnering most of the attention. But Franklin-Myers is a stud veteran with serious pass-rush juice on the interior. He may have his lapses as a tackler, but Las Vegas desperately needs to get Maxx Crosby some help on the inside, and Franklin-Myers could show why he's the guy on Sunday.
5. Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seahawks
Shaheed is an electric player both in the return game and as a wide receiver. The Raiders could use a homerun-hitter like him in the building, and if Seattle lets him hit the open market after trading for him midseason, Las Vegas should swoop in and make him an offer. After a strong showing against the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, expect Shaheed to go off again on the big stage.