The Las Vegas Raiders 2024 offseason started off with a bang, as they brought in a new general manager in Tom Telesco, and named Antonio Pierce their full-time head coach. These two men will now be tasked with turning the Raiders fortunes around, as they have mostly been on the outside looking in at the playoffs over the past 20 years.
With the 2024 NFL Draft on the horizon, we take a quick look back at what Telesco was able to do in free agency. He added some big names, and lost a star in Josh Jacobs, but overall, you have to think the roster is in better shape heading into the NFL Draft than it has been in some time.
In a piece over at USA Today, Tyler Dragon named the Best and Worst moves in free agency this offseason, and the Raiders came up on both lists.
Raiders adding Wilkins a "Best Move"
There is no doubt that Christian Wilkins is going to be a difference-maker for the Raiders, as he joins what could be one of the best defensive lines in football next season. Las Vegas has been trying to couple Maxx Crosby with talent around him for years now, and the move for Wilkins could take the Raiders defensive line to the next level.
Raiders adding Minshew a "Worst Move"
In an interesting thought, the Raiders adding Gardner Minshew II was seen as one of the worst free agent moves of the offseason. While Minshew is not an elite quarterback, he is significantly better than the backup in Las Vegas last season, and gives the Raiders another starting-caliber signal-caller in the quarterback room.
Overall, Telesco has made some solid moves in free agency so far, and with a strong draft class, the Raiders should improve in a big way this upcoming season. There are still major holes on the roster on both sides of the ball, but Las Vegas still has solid cap space, and more than enough draft capital to change the narrative surrounding the franchise.