The Las Vegas Raiders made more drastic changes ahead of the 2025 NFL season than any other team in the league. The franchise, top to bottom, went through numerous adjustments, which began with the addition of Tom Brady as the minority owner.
Owner Mark Davis finally acknowledged his shortcomings as a football mind and put one of the best in charge, which netted the team a promising leadership tandem of general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll.
Weirdly enough, the team that these two built during the offseason is a mirror of them. One side of the ball is younger, more homegrown and up-and-coming. The other is full of veterans from outside of the building at the end of their rope who are trying to make one last impression in the NFL.
Raiders' roster construction for 2025 is a tale of two sides of the ball
With the Raiders' 53-man roster finalized ahead of Week 1's matchup with the New England Patriots, we took the time to break down where the players on the roster came from. This includes the NFL Draft, free agency, or being acquired on the waiver wire, via trade or as an undrafted free agent.
Here is the breakdown for the Raiders:
Acquired via | Total Number on Roster |
|---|---|
NFL Draft | 24 |
Free Agency | 20 |
Trade | 3 |
Waiver Wire | 3 |
Undrafted Free Agent | 3 |
Compared to years past, the number of drafted players on the roster is incredible. Between 24 drafted players and three coming on as undrafted free agents, this means that over half of the Raiders' roster began their careers in Las Vegas (or, in a few cases, Oakland).
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By breaking things down further and looking at where all the starters on each side of the ball came from, it tells yet another story.
Acquired via | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
NFL Draft | 8 | 2 |
Free Agency | 2 | 8 |
Trade | 1 | 1 |
Undrafted Free Agent | 0 | 1 |
This delineation is as clear as day. Offensively, the team is full of young, homegrown players who are looking to build something together. This mirrors Spytek, as he is in his first general manager role and comes from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where they always drafted incredibly well.
Defensively, the team is made up of veterans from the free agent market, which is a pretty clear reflection of Carroll. The aging coach is looking to lead the Raiders out of the darkness in yet another stint with a new team, just like these experienced players from the open market are.
Ironically enough, fans expect more out of the young offense this year than the veteran defense. Well, so does Mark Davis, as he gave Spytek a five-year contract and Carroll just a three-year deal, with a fourth-year team option. This displays more faith in Spytek, in a sense.
Obviously, these two put their heads together and made these decisions together. But it is interesting to see how the two sides of the ball differ so dramatically in their construction, and how they are each a reflection of either Carroll or Spytek.