It seems as soon as June 1 hit, the NFL world decided to wake everybody up from the past few weeks, which have been rather slow. The Las Vegas Raiders didn't make any groundbreaking moves, but they will definitely be impacted.
After the news of Myles Garrett going from the Cleveland Browns to the Los Angeles Rams, there were a few initial reactions to be had, depending on which fan base you called home. Funny enough, the Raiders play both teams this season, so they'll still have to deal with Garrett. How fun.
But this isn't about having to play against Garrett. In trading for Garrett, the Rams are now unlikely to sign any of their 2027 free agents to extensions this summer, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. This includes wideout Puka Nacua and, as it stands, the Raiders can still use plenty of help in that area.
It would be beyond shocking to see Las Vegas Raiders pursue Puka Nacua in 2027 free agency
Because of the finances committed to Garrett and other players on the roster, the Rams simply can't pay all of Nacua, Byron Young, Steve Avila and Kobie Turner. And just because that list includes some star-studded names like Nacua, doesn't mean the Raiders will wind up pursuing him.
In terms of Puka Nacua, the player, it seems crazy to believe that the Rams wouldn't offer him an extension. And, if we are still talking solely about the player, the Raiders make a ton of sense as a team that could be revitalized on offense by his presence alone. He is also a Las Vegas native.
But when it comes to John Spytek and the Raiders' aversion to signing players with off-the-field issues or who can be easily deemed a distraction, this marriage has a very small chance of ever happening.
Nacua's recent history of off-field issues includes being seen performing an antisemitic gesture, having a restraining order being filed against him in March of this year, and checking into rehab in April in order to to "improve his overall behavior in every aspect of his life."
I give Nacua every bit of credit for going to rehab and wanting to improve his behavior, but based on his name being in the news for the wrong reasons in the past several months, this is not the type of individual Spytek would sign to a major contract or give up draft capital to acquire.
Instead, the Raiders would be better served going after other potential 2027 free agents such as George Pickens, Drake London or Chris Olave, assuming none of them get long-term deals worked out with their current teams.
Nacua might be one of the best the NFL has at the position, but Raiders fans know good and well that it would be surprising to see the organization take a chance on him.
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