Mistakes happen in the NFL; every team deals with them. Perhaps the Las Vegas Raiders have dealt with more than their share of them over the last few years compared to their counterparts, but it is not learning from those mistakes that has held the Silver and Black back so dramatically.
It wasn't that long ago that the Raiders nabbed undrafted free agent linebacker Drake Thomas out of NC State and watched him blossom before their very eyes during the preseason. He wasn't just a promising up and comer in the building, Thomas was the NFL's best linebacker during the preseason.
Inexplicably, however, Las Vegas, led by Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels, didn't keep Thomas on the 53-man team when it came down to it. And what's worse is that he never found his way back into the building after the Seattle Seahawks claimed him on waivers. All that promise gone, just like that.
The Raiders must learn from that mistake this offseason.
Las Vegas Raiders may have something special in UDFA DE Cian Slone
Once the incredible work from the 2026 NFL Draft was done for John Spytek and Co., they wasted no time attacking the UDFA market. Fernando Mendoza's teammate, Roman Hemby, and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, or "The Tokyo Toe," got most of the attention from this batch of roster moves.
But NC State outside linebacker/edge rusher Cian Slone seems to be held in high regard in the building already, and he comes to Las Vegas with quite a bit of promise. After a strong showing at the Senior Bowl but going undrafted, The California Post's Vincent Bonsignore made one thing clear:
"The Raiders really like him."Vincent Bonsignore on Cian Slone
Now, that is just Bonsignore's take on things, but he tends to be fairly plugged-in with the Raiders. And it is easy to see why the powers that be in Las Vegas would think so highly of him after recording 11.0 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss and 63 run stops during his three college campaigns.
In a defensive end room that lacks a bona fide fifth option/core special teamer behind Maxx Crosby, Kwity Paye, Keyron Crawford and Malcolm Koonce, the Raiders are looking for someone to step up. Slone will battle the likes of Brennan Jackson and Jahfari Harvey for that spot this offseason.
If Slone impresses, as many expect him to, then Las Vegas can't repeat mistakes of regimes past. Ziegler and McDaniels would try to sneak him onto the practice squad or just simply fail to recognize his talents. But the Spytek-led Raiders can't go down this road and let it become a Thomas situation.
Thomas was a starting linebacker on the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks this past season, and it stung for Raider Nation every time they saw him playing good football late into the winter. Slone is obviously light-years away from that, but if he shows flashes, Las Vegas can't let him walk.
Ideally, Slone plays great during the preseason and sneaks onto the roster, serving as the ultimate do-over for when the Silver and Black fumbled another promising NC State UDFA. Maybe it never gets to this point because Slone is a no-brainer to make the team or he doesn't live up to his billing.
But it would be doubly painful for Raiders fans to have to relive the pain of kicking Thomas to the curb in one of the most boneheaded manners this fanbase has seen again with Slone. So, if Slone looks promising, Spytek needs to get it right this time around.
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