The Las Vegas Raiders made several strong offseason moves under new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. They are still somewhat haunted, however, by the poor decisions of regimes past.
Meanwhile, over in Kansas City, the Chiefs continue to extend elite players whom they drafted outside the first round. Last offseason, the nine-time reigning AFC West champions made Creed Humphrey the highest-paid center in NFL history.
On Tuesday, they did the same thing with Trey Smith, making him the highest-paid guard in league history. These massive investments in the interior offensive line are a bit worrisome for the Raiders heading into training camp, as a bit of a crisis could be on their hands.
Chiefs' Trey Smith contract is reminder that Raiders need answers at DT
Star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, whom the franchise invested $110 million in during free agency last year, has yet to participate in the team's offseason program. He missed all of OTAs and minicamp, and there is no expectation he will be ready for training camp next Tuesday.
If the Raiders want to build a contender, that starts with fighting their way out of the AFC West. With two of the best interior offensive linemen now locked in with the Chiefs for several more years, it makes it even more important that the Raiders have Wilkins or another viable answer on the interior.
Adam Butler was re-signed this offseason, but unfortunately, he cannot do things by himself. If Wilkins remains unavailable for the Silver and Black, the team may have to lean on rookies like Tonka Hemingway or J.J. Pegues against some of the league's best blockers.
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Veterans like Leki Fotu and experienced players like Zachary Carter and Jonah Laulu have shown promise thus far in their NFL careers, but it takes a star like Wilkins to overcome players like Smith and Humphrey in Kansas City.
Las Vegas is in a difficult spot, as they do not want to rush Wilkins back from his foot injury and cause any further damage. However, the longer he sits, the more they fall behind the 8-Ball, and Tuesday's extension of Smith was a cruel reminder of that.
Luckily, the Chiefs have a big question mark at left tackle that players like Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce can exploit in the two matchups this year. But getting Wilkins healthy or finding another viable option at defensive tackle will be paramount to the Raiders dethroning the Chiefs in 2025.