In preparation for the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins to kick off the 2026 NFL season, general manager John Spytek did what he loves to do: make some transactions. In his tireless effort to perfect the roster in Las Vegas, Spytek made a swap at guard on Thursday.
The Raiders announced that they were claiming guard Bryce Cabeldue off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks, and in a corresponding move, they waived guard Atonio Mafi. It was always befuddling that Mafi made the roster, but in Cabeldue, Klint Kubiak has found both an upgrade and some familiarity.
It was just last year that Cabeldue was drafted in the sixth round by the Seahawks when Kubiak was their offensive coordinator. And now that the two are reunited in Las Vegas, Kubiak can finish the project that he originally started with Cabeldue, who was just edged out of an elite team in Seattle.
Raiders sign former Seahawks IOL Bryce Cabeldue to active roster
Cabeldue played his college ball at Kansas, where Kubiak was coincidentally the wide receivers coach in 2015, and joined the Seahawks on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. After playing primarily at right tackle in college, Kubiak and Co. saw a move inside as necessary for the young player.
After just a few short months, Cabeldue looked comfortable as he logged snaps at both guard spots during the 2025 preseason and fared just fine. Even during the regular season, Cabeldue was called on several times in heavy packages, logging 24 run-blocking snaps and earning a 73.4 PFF grade.
This preseason, Cabeldue expanded his repertoire even more, playing center in addition to guard. The Raiders clearly value versatility, and his ability to play all three spots on the interior makes him a more valuable backup than Mafi would have been for Las Vegas.
Plus, Cabeldue can play special teams, as much as an offensive lineman can, on both field goal kicks and punt returns.
And he's already shown growth early in his career, as Cabeldue jumped from a PFF pass-blocking grade of 55.8 in the 2025 preseason to 79.0 in 2026. His run-blocking mark increased from 64.0 to 69.3, and his overall score went from 60.5 to 69.0. That is a huge step for him to have already taken.
Kubiak started the Cabeldue project when he helped bring him to Seattle and then tasked Rick Dennison with helping him move from tackle to guard. Now, the project will continue with all of them reunited at Raiders HQ. Cabeldue can continue developing under a staff that clearly believes in him.
What does Bryce Cabeldue signing mean for Raiders?
Although Cabeldue is not ready for a starting role, he provides a solid depth piece for Las Vegas to lean on and a still-young player (25 years old) to keep working with. Given his interior versatility, it stands to reason that he could be the emergency center behind Tyler Linderbaum and Trey Zuhn III.
He'll have a hard time beating out Caleb Rogers as the next guard in line, though, but Cabeldue will effectively be another backup at the spot alongside him, behind Jackson Powers-Johnson and Spencer Burford. Perhaps in a bind or disaster scenario, he could even play offensive tackle again.
Most importantly, the Raiders seem to have upgraded their interior offensive line depth with the addition of Cabeldue and the subtraction of Mafi, which is not insignificant. These deals seem tedious or pointless until they matter. Then, all of a sudden, the deeper depth is a big deal to everyone.
So, although not a hallmark move, Las Vegas appears to have gotten better just a few days before the season, and Kubiak gets to finish the project that he started with Cabeldue and Dennison. Sounds like a fine move to make.
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