As Klint Kubiak starts to put his imprint on the Las Vegas Raiders, it will be as much about creating a culture off the field as it is about on-field systems and schematics. With that in mind, adding players he is familiar with is certainly on the table as free agency approaches.
Of course, with Las Vegas being Kubiak's sixth stop in as many seasons, such is the life of an NFL coach, those tentacles can extend even further than they otherwise might for a team with a new leader.
With the third-most effective cap space in the league ($74.5 million, according to Over The Cap), money will be no object for the Raiders in free agency. With plenty of needs to fill, that money needs to be delegated properly to make the biggest impact, with certain areas being prioritized over others.
Fresh report confirms Raiders won't force Rashid Shaheed in free agency
Among free agents with ties to Kubiak, wide receiver Rashid Shaheed stands above the rest. He set a career-high in yards per catch when Kubiak was the New Orleans Saints' OC in 2024, and the Seattle Seahawks' trading for him at last season's deadline clearly came with Kubiak's stamp of approval.
Shaheed didn't make a lot of big plays during the Seahawks' run to a Super Bowl win, but the plays he made as an offensive weapon and a return man were very impactful. That noticeable impact was also well-timed, as he now heads to the free agent market, lined up to get a nice multi-year deal.
Coming out of NFL Combine week, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler had some notes about the upcoming free agent market at wide receiver. Shaheed is, of course, a prominent name on that front, and Fowler pointed to the Buffalo Bills as a team that could have significant interest.
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But any talk about the market for Shaheed's services is incomplete without mention of the Raiders, and Fowler also had some insight there.
"Some around the league are linking Shaheed to the Raiders. The feeling is that Las Vegas likes him a lot, though it will be selective at the position if the money gets too out of hand," Fowler wrote.
It feels like someone will end up overpaying Shaheed for the offensive role he is actually capable of filling, and no impact as a return man can bridge what that difference could be. The Raiders should resist any temptation to overpay.
This becomes especially true with a Shaheed clone perhaps already on the roster in Tre Tucker. Surveying the market for a wide receiver addition is tricky, and there is certainly a needle to thread when it comes to Shaheed. Spytek can't let the easy tie coerce him to overspend.