The Las Vegas Raiders knew going into this offseason that it would be one of change, as the team brought in a new general manager in Tom Telesco. The veteran GM has come in and put his stamp on the team already, letting some big-name players leave via free agency, while also adding some quality talent this offseason.
For the Raiders to compete in the AFC, things had to change, as they have made the playoffs only three times in the last 20 years. Since 2002, the Raiders have been to the playoffs only twice, losing both times after the 2016 and 2021 NFL seasons.
Telesco's task is a big one, but he has enough years in at the position to make the right moves for the franchse going forward. So far, three big names have either left, or been added to the Raiders roster, and all three are considered great deals for their respective teams.
Raiders added and lost players given high grades
Over at The Athletic, Mike Jones put together a piece grading the good, bad, and ugly free agency moves so far. For the Raiders, their top-3 moves, losing Jermaine Eluemunor and Josh Jacobs, while adding Christan Wilkins, were all given a grade of "A" for their respective teams.
Green Bay was given an "A" grade due to the fact that Jacobs should be able to come in and take a lot of the pressure off of quarterback Jordan Love. The New York Giants got the high mark because their offensive line was in shambles the last few seasons, and Eluemunor is a proven player at the offensive tackle position.
For the Raiders, the addition of Wilkins was a no-brainer, as the team has been desperately trying to find star power at the position group in recent years. We will see how all three of these moves pan out over the next few seasons, but as of now, it appears they were all the right moves for the right franchise at the right time.