You wouldn't know it by their abysmal 3-14 record during the 2025 NFL season, but the Las Vegas Raiders are actually building something under John Spytek's guidance. He is placing his fingerprints all over this roster, and the team is being constructed in his and Klint Kubiak's shared vision.
A big component in this is an emphasis on youth, whether that means attacking the NFL Draft every year and getting as many darts to throw at the board as possible in the event, or signing younger free agents to add experience but also to ensure that these veterans are still around when the tide turns.
But one area of team building that Spytek simply has to get better at is adding undrafted free agents. Based on a two-year sample size, it is clear that, despite some great draft picks and open market additions, Spytek hasn't quite figured out the formula with the UDFAs or rookie minicamp invites.
Let's dive in.
Las Vegas Raiders GM John Spytek must find more value in UDFA market
The Raiders released the first version of their 53-man roster earlier this week, and notably, none of the team's undrafted free agents made the cut. That may not sound alarming, but 45 UDFAs made the roster on 25 NFL teams this fall. It's best to be in the majority when it comes to stuff like this.
While some may view this as a positive, that the roster is so improved or sound that undrafted players couldn't crack it, that's not really the case in Las Vegas. If teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams have room, then the Raiders certainly should.
But of the 17 UDFAs that the Silver and Black signed back in April, only five are even on the practice squad. Two more rookie minicamp invitees also landed on this list, but the other 10 have already been cast off completely by the franchise after just a few months in the building. That is not ideal.
To be fair, two of the team's highest-paid players from this group got injured, but not even Cian Slone or Roman Hemby, who had big guarantees in their contracts, made the active roster. And really, only Slone was close or had an argument to make the team.
Last year, it was the same story. The Raiders brought in 15 undrafted free agents in their initial crop in April 2025, and none of them made the 53-man roster. Only five made the practice squad, and just three remain in the building over a year later: Greedy Vance Jr., Jahfari Harvey and Carter Runyon.
Even worse is the fact that several of the UDFAs that the team paid handsomely aren't even on practice squads elsewhere; they're playing in the UFL or already out of pro football entirely. Las Vegas simply needs to find more value in this phase of roster building.
How can Raiders solve their inability to find rosterable UDFAs?
Failure to find UDFAs doesn't fall squarely on Spytek's shoulders, nor is it a major indictment of the college scouting department. Clearly, they've done good work in the last two years, as the Raiders' two draft classes under Spytek have incredible promise for both this season and in the long-term.
However, there is clearly something that the team isn't doing. It's not an aggression thing, as in my conversation with Jah Joyner last year, I learned that the Raiders called him before the draft was over to talk about a UDFA deal. Las Vegas is doing its best to get out ahead of things.
It also doesn't seem to be a money issue, as the Raiders have a cash-rich ownership group and they don't cut any costs in terms of guaranteed money to land heralded players like Joyner, Slone, Hemby and others. So, what on earth is preventing Las Vegas from finding value in this realm?
The answer to that question is not only above my pay grade, but it is not for me to even answer. The college scouting department needs to take some of the fairy dust they've had in the last two drafts and sprinkle it over the UDFA crop and make something happen.
If I or other fans can recognize the Raiders' shortcomings in this facet of team building, then you can bet that Spytek and his fellow executives and scouts are talking about it. And it's possible that several UDFAs still end up with roles in Las Vegas, and this all looks like nothing down the road.
As things stand now, though, Spytek and the Raiders haven't gotten hardly any value from two UDFA classes. That's the only real blackmark on his résumé, at least in terms of what the young general manager has been in control of thus far since coming to Las Vegas.
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