The Las Vegas Raiders have turned over a good portion of their roster ahead of the 2025 NFL season. New general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll had no choice but to do this after inheriting a team that won just four games in 2024.
Before training camp could even begin, the Raiders made a roster move on Monday afternoon. The team announced that they were releasing quarterback Carter Bradley, who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent last offseason.
Not only does this clarify things for the quarterback room, but it also opens up a roster spot for Las Vegas to take advantage of before the preseason begins. While many want the team to add an experienced wide receiver or cornerback, perhaps another veteran could be of use to the Raiders.
Raiders need to sign Justin Simmons after recent roster move
Longtime Denver Broncos safety and current free agent Justin Simmons should be on the Raiders' radar as they look to fill their open roster spot. While this may seem like a crazy idea, given the team signed Jeremy Chinn and extended Isaiah Pola-Mao this offseason, in a strange way, it could work.
Las Vegas has reportedly been employing a third safety on the field during training camp instead of a slot cornerback. Chinn is known to be a versatile piece, so defensive coordinator Patrick Graham could move him around while still relying on Simmons and Pola-Mao to hold down the back end.
Simmons did take a step back in 2024 with the Atlanta Falcons, but he was an All-Pro safety as recently as 2023 with the Broncos. In fact, he has been an All-Pro or Pro Bowler in five of his last six seasons.
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A potential snag could be that Simmons recently expressed his desire to play for a Super Bowl contender, and that he would be picky with his selection. Unfortunately, that does not sound like the Raiders this season.
However, money talks, and Las Vegas has a lot of it. Currently, the team has the ninth-most available salary cap space in the league, and the second-most next season, so Simmons could land a nice deal with the Raiders that could please both sides.
While it is unlikely that the Raiders will offer a contract to Simmons, clearly, the team is making room for somebody. Otherwise, they would not have released Bradley when they did. Hopefully, the new regime has a strong player in mind that can help the team both now and in the future, whoever it is.