The Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of free agents to consider this offseason in the first year of the Pete Carroll and John Spytek experiment. The team has 26 players set to test the open market, including a handful of key defensive starters.
Among these players are Tre'Von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, Malcolm Koonce and Adam Butler, but arguably the most important Raiders decision of the offseason will be what kind of contract they choose to offer linebacker Robert Spillane.
Spillane has been a stalwart on the Raiders' defense for the last two seasons and took his game to new heights under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. While there is a new regime in place for Las Vegas, Carroll opted to keep Graham on his staff, which could help the team retain Spillane this offseason.
However, the linebacker market has been robust already this offseason, as reports are pouring in from around the league about high-dollar, multi-year deals for the best players at the position. This recent string of signings may affect the way that the Raiders approach a potential deal.
What do recent LB signings mean for Raiders and Robert Spillane?
Within the last week, linebackers Zack Baun, Nick Bolton, Derrick Barnes, Jamien Sherwood and Ernest Jones IV all chose to re-sign with their respective teams. Their contracts are as follows:
Baun: 3 years, $51 million (extension)
Bolton: 3 years, $45 million
Barnes: 3 years, $25.5 million
Sherwood: 3 years, $45 million
Jones IV: 3 years, $33 million
Several of these players are receiving upwards of $20 million guaranteed as well, which is a hefty amount to hand to a linebacker. While linebackers are certainly valuable on a football field, they are not typically paid like a top-tier edge rusher or cornerback.
However, the market seems to be shifting this year, and the Raiders have a pivotal decision to make concerning Robert Spillane. With so many players at the position choosing to re-sign with their teams, linebacker-needy franchises are seeing their options dwindle.
This could cause other teams to offer Spillane more than his projected $10.4 million per year value, which would be a steep price for the Raiders. The team just extended Maxx Crosby this week, and a potential Geno Smith extension is looming as well. If Spillane wants more than a three-year deal worth $33 million, it may not be in the cards for Las Vegas.
Spillane has acted like a loyal Raider during his tenure with the franchise, but money talks in the NFL. Spytek and Carroll better have a trick up their sleeve in the coming days, or one of the team's best players may walk out of the building.