The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot to figure out before they start dealing with free agents in early March, namely, finding the franchise's next head coach. But having as many tools in the shed as possible to bring talent in will be critical for a team that won just two meaningful games in 2025.
According to Spotrac, the Raiders will have $88.7 million in salary cap space at their disposal this offseason as they sift through the open market and try to add veteran talent. Cutting Geno Smith will clear up about $8 million more, even if they take on a dead cap hit of $18.5 million with the move.
But what if a way to clear up cap space without cutting a player existed? Surely, Las Vegas will move on from Smith this offseason, but they can give themselves even more financial flexibility and create almost $39 million more in cap space without getting rid of anyone. Here's how:
Raiders can clear plenty of cap space restructuring Maxx Crosby and Kolton Miller's contract
Spotrac also gives us the ability to mess around with players' contracts, including restructuring them. By restructuring both Maxx Crosby's three-year, $106.5 million deal and Kolton Miller's three-year, $66 million contract, the Raiders would save $38.9 million against the salary cap.
Those two moves would give Las Vegas $127.5 million in salary cap space to play around with, which is incredibly enticing. Now, achieving these two things will be much easier said than done, as both players would have to agree to a restructure. The Raiders would have to add void years.
It gets complicated.
But Crosby might not mind, as restructuring his deal would make him an even more prime trade candidate if he wants out. Other teams only having to pay a league minimum base salary would mean everyone in the league can afford him, driving up his price and trade value for Las Vegas.
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If only Crosby agrees to a restructure, for that reason or another, the Raiders would still save $23.8 million against the cap. That is a significant chunk of change and would give Las Vegas the most salary cap space in the league, by a wide margin.
Nearly $24 million can buy you five or so starters on the open market, if general manager John Spytek plays his cards right. That would climb to $32 million if you count the money freed up by cutting Geno Smith, and that number rises to $50.3 million if they can find a trade partner for Smith.
It'll be interesting to see how Spytek chooses to approach free agency this offseason, as bargain shopping last year didn't do the team a whole lot of good. The Raiders will be built through the draft, but they can splurge in free agency as well, and they must to hit their cash spending floor anyway.