It took the Las Vegas Raiders several years to finally concede that they needed to rebuild. Thankfully, John Spytek and Klint Kubiak have already set those gears in motion, as they've put an emphasis on adding young players to the roster this offseason, and that trend will continue in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That doesn't mean that the Silver and Black can put out a team entirely devoid of veterans; they'll need experienced players to help develop those youthful investments. But a line needs to be straddled between getting instant help and putting too many resources into one basket.
One player isn't going to fix everything in Las Vegas and turn them into an instant contender. Even superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who just requested a trade from the New York Giants, shouldn't be on the Raiders' radar if they truly want to build this thing the right way.
Las Vegas Raiders can't (and won't) be swooned by Dexter Lawrence becoming available
If the Giants do end up shopping Lawrence, and it is likely that they will, that is incredibly enticing bait to dangle. After all, fans have talked all season about adding to the defensive interior, and although Las Vegas has some promising players, Lawrence is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro.
He can play anywhere from the nose tackle all the way out to defensive end on ocassion, logging snaps at the 0-technique and the 5-technique this past season, as well as everything in between. Lawrence could pretty much play in any package the Raiders need him to and have success.
But Lawrence won't be cheap to acquire, and he won't be cheap once he's in the building. First of all, he'll turn 29 years old this season, which seems to be outside of the bell curve for what age Spytek and Kubiak are targeting this offseason. Plus, a myriad of premier picks will be involved in the deal.
According to Giants reporter Connor Hughes, the return for Lawrence is likely to either be a late first-rounder later this month, a 2027 first-rounder, or a second and a fifth-round pick packaged. Las Vegas doesn't exactly have a late first-rounder in 2026, so we can comfortably scratch that idea off.
Considering that the Raiders are rebuilding and next year's class is supposed to be generational, they probably shouldn't send a 2027 first-rounder either, especially not knowing where that pick will eventually be. Hughes' last idea, however, could be a somewhat palatable starting point.
If all the Silver and Black had to give up was No. 36 and No. 175 overall, that wouldn't be terrible business. But when combined with the fact that Lawrence is already supposed to make close to $27 million per year in 2026 and 2027, and he wants a more lucrative contract, it becomes untenable.
Not only does Las Vegas not currently have that salary cap space, but they still have more holes to address in the roster with their current financial situation before they begin targeting disgruntled big-ticket players who may be shopped this offseason.
From a pure football standpoint, Lawrence would unequivocally help this Raiders defense. But when looking at the big picture and the team-building aspects, the equation for acquiring Lawrence becomes much more complicated and unfavorable.
Las Vegas would be far better off taking a much-younger defensive tackle in the second or fifth round for a fraction of the price and utilizing their other draft capital and salary cap space to bolster the roster in other ways. Plus, Spytek loves his picks and talked about wanting more, not less.
Lawrence is a certified stud, and every team in the league is surely interested in him, at least peripherally. Kubiak and Spytek have talked about wanting great players on the Raiders. And even though his production dropped last year, he would still be a massive addition in Las Vegas.
That said, he's not the missing piece for the Silver and Black. So, Spytek and Co. can't take the bait, as their resources would be much better allocated elsewhere. It's intriguing, and it would provide instant returns, but this is a rebuild, and both patience and trust in the regime to develop youth are required.