When a team is as bad at drafting as the Las Vegas Raiders have been in the last decade, the great picks stand out more than the poor ones. For every Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs and Brock Bowers, the Raiders have taken five proverbial Clelin Ferrells, Damon Arnettes and Alex Leatherwoods.
Combined with poor free agency decisions, bad coaching and no answers at the quarterback position, it is no wonder why things have been a mess in Las Vegas. It has been a highly-charged environment, categorized by impatient ownership and an incredibly frustrated fanbase.
In the midst of all that emotion, it can be hard to see what floats between those extremes. Existing between the few stars and a handful of busts or bad signings over the last few years has been underrated guard Dylan Parham, who may unfortunately be counting down his days in Las Vegas.
Raiders could let Dylan Parham walk in FA after years of solid service
Parham, after the Raiders traded away their first and second round picks in 2022, became the first-ever draft selection of the Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler era. He was then a staple under both Antonio Pierce and Pete Carroll, but he hardly ever got recognition for it.
Over four years with the Silver and Black, he played in 64 of a possible 68 games, recording 3,803 offensive snaps. As a rookie, he helped catapult Jacobs to the NFL's 2022 rushing title. But John Spytek has not extended him, and Parham is set to test unrestricted free agency in March.
A good portion of Parham's struggles in 2025 can be attributed to an overall poor environment cultivated by offensive line coach and run game coordinator Brennan Carroll. But regardless, Spytek hasn't seen Parham play his best football, so he could easily let him walk next month.
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Spytek proved last offseason that, outside of Malcolm Koonce and Isaiah Pola-Mao, he wasn't keen on paying players from past Raiders regimes. With Parham's market value at around $10 million per year, and a projected deal of three years and $30.2 million, Parham may be too expensive.
Las Vegas does have plenty of salary cap space, but the upcoming free agency class is chock full of high-end talent, and the middle rounds of the draft have some solid prospects, too. Plus, Spytek already invested a third-round pick in Caleb Rogers last year, who looked promising in limited action.
The Raiders could easily find common ground on a small extension for Parham, but if he doesn't fit the scheme that Klint Kubiak is going to install, then he'll likely land elsewhere in the NFL. Still-young guards with tons of experience aren't often available, so Parham could cash in.
Never a superstar in Las Vegas, but Parham was more than serviceable throughout his tenure. If the end really is near, then his Raiders tenure will likely remain underrated. If he comes back, however, he'd have a chance to blossom in what projects to finally be a competent offense.