Entering the final year of his contract, Las Vegas Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller caused a bit of a stir when he skipped the beginning of voluntary offseason work back in April. In light of his absence, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal plainly suggested that extending Miller might not be a top priority for the new regime.
But Miller's presence at OTAs, and more importantly, mandatory minicamp, seemed to indicate that contract extension talks were moving in a positive direction. With no immediate replacement for him on the roster, getting a deal done with the man tasked with protecting Geno Smith's blind side should be a clear priority.
There are no worries that Miller will stage a full-fledged holdout when training camp starts, lest he be subject to a sizeable fine for each day he misses. But the longer he goes without a new contract, there will be speculation about when, or if, a deal gets done, and it won't get cheaper for the Raiders.
Raiders insider re-invites a very possible outcome with Kolton Miller
Bonsignore has taken a fresh look at the Raiders' five most prominent pending unrestricted free agents heading toward training camp. On a list that detailed what level of priority might be placed on retaining each player, Miller led the list.
"Miller has said he wants to be a Raider for life, and the club is open to re-signing him at the right price," Bonsignore wrote. "Finding that common ground could be a challenge. And Miller, who plays a premium position at left tackle, has to consider his worth on the open market."
This is exactly the kind of thing that Raider Nation is afraid of: Miller wants to play for the team, but the team does not want him as badly. That could cause quite a rift and play out similar to how Josh Jacobs' situation did, which was upsetting for both him and the fan base.
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Bonsignore did provide one long-term alternative for Miller, and to no surprise, it is a name that Pete Carroll and John Spytek brought in this offseason.
“Charles Grant, an athletic left tackle drafted in the third round this year, could play a role in the decision," Bonsignore said. "He’s likely to use 2025 as a development season. Depending on his progress, he could take over for Miller in the 2026 season.”
Bonsignore predicted the Raiders will see how effective Miller is in Chip Kelly's offense this season, while monitoring Grant's development. Then they'll decide whether to invest in Miller, at $20-$23 million per year by Bonsignore's estimation, or make Grant their new left tackle with three years left on a cheap rookie contract.
Miller said he wants to be a "Raider for life", but when it comes down to it, the team may not share that desire. And with that in mind, if he doesn't have a new contract before the season starts, he will be plenty motivated to prove his worth to the Raiders and the rest of the NFL with an eye on hitting the open market next March.