Head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek came in and completely rebuilt the Las Vegas Raiders' roster in their first offseason with the franchise. These two leaders have a winning pedigree, so Raider Nation should have the utmost confidence in their decision-making.
Geno Smith was a massive upgrade at quarterback, a tandem of Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert should completely flip the fortunes of the rushing attack, and several promising young wide receivers entered the fold through the 2025 NFL Draft.
One move that the regime made offensively, however, was a bit of a head-scratcher. They signed declining guard Alex Cappa to a two-year, $11 million deal, which is starter-level money. Las Vegas' offensive line was incredibly solid last season, so it begged the question of who he might replace.
Dylan Parham could be entering final season with Raiders
Earlier this offseason, The Athletic's Tashan Reed reported that Cappa was indeed starting, and that returners Jordan Meredith and Dylan Parham were competing for the starting guard spot opposite him.
With Cappa under contract next season, and the team drafting third-round interior lineman Caleb Rogers, Parham could quietly be entering his final season with the Raiders. His rookie contract will be up after 2025, and there have been no talks about the team extending him.
This would be disappointing for Las Vegas, as Parham has been a stalwart on the team's offensive line since being drafted in 2022. He has played nearly 3,000 snaps over his career and was the 24th-best guard in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
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He has also steadily improved throughout his career, so the best could still be yet to come for Parham. However, with Cappa under contract, Meredith being a much cheaper option and Rogers being in the fold, Parham could easily be the odd man out.
Parham was the first pick of the Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler era, so in a way, his departure would be emblematic of the franchise completely turning a new leaf. But Parham should be a surefire starter this season, and there is a very real chance that he plays his way into a big contract.
Whether the Raiders will be the team to give that to him or not is yet to be determined, but the odds of him being extended before the season are next to zero. Las Vegas' regimes have kicked the can down the road too far for Parham, and it may result in the team losing a rising star next offseason.