The Las Vegas Raiders' fanbase has to be largely thrilled with a 2026 offseason that saw them hire Klint Kubiak as head coach, draft Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall, and bring in impactful starters on both sides of the ball through free agency and the draft.
Naturally, some contrarian opinions are starting to pop up, including one that implied that the Raiders had an actively bad offseason. Seth Walder of ESPNÂ only gave the Raiders a 'C' grade for their 2026 NFL offseason, which was 31st in the league, ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals.
Walder cited the notion that their free agent spending spree went to players who are not going to move the needle as far as wins and losses go. It turns out that Walder is ignoring the idea that a team fresh off being the worst in the league wants to raise its floor a bit.
ESPN oddly gives Las Vegas Raiders 'C' grade for 2026 NFL offseason
What Walder and many others who weren't fans of Spytek's cash-splashing ways are not taking into account is the fact that the Raiders were not anywhere close to being a perfect situation for a rookie quarterback like Mendoza.
The Raiders may not pile up wins next season, but that is not the chief goal. Their slow build is getting things turned around, as Las Vegas added tons of promising rookies through the draft and veteran free agents who were on the younger side, not near the end of their careers.
Walder was not a fan of the Tyler Linderbaum contract breaking the market to such an extreme degree, but a Raiders team that doesn't have a ton of big albatrosses on the books and is fresh off witnessing one of the worst collective interior offensive line performances in years likely has no misgivings or regrets about that deal.
While Walder may be correct in taking aim at the Kwity Paye deal, given his low pass rush win rate and the return of Maxx Crosby, signing him along with veteran linebackers like Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker all helps contribute to a team that is trying to get back to respectability.
Las Vegas knows it has to walk before it can run. The Raiders are operating with a first-year coach and rookie quarterback in a division that features three teams with realistic contention chances in the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.
This organization is well aware of the fact that 2026 is an evaluation year that will reveal which players will be along for the long haul and which can be discarded.
Isn't that a better strategy than just bottoming out and leaning on the Draft again? According to Walder, signing multiple defensive starters and offensive linemen goes against his vision for the team. Good thing he's not in charge.
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