The Las Vegas Raiders were by far the busiest team on the first day of NFL free agency. They signed six players, with a total of $240.5 million shelled out on Monday, March 9.
The Raiders were the worst team in the league last season, going 3-14 on their way to earning the No.1 overall pick. They’re more than likely going to select Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but they want to raise the floor of their roster to become competitive with Mendoza at quarterback.
Tyler Linderbaum was the crown jewel of this free agency cycle. The former Baltimore Ravens center has made a Pro Bowl every season from 2023-25. At just 25 years old, he has at least five more years of prime pass protection.
No. 1: C Tyler Linderbaum
The Raiders paid up for Linderbaum, giving him a three-year, $81 million contract. He became the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.
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Still, it was absolutely worth it. Linderbaum ranks second among centers in pass-block win rate since the Ravens drafted him 25th overall in 2022, and he was ranked seventh in run-block win rate. He should be the centerpiece of an offensive line that’s looking to rebound after a tough 2025.
No. 2: LB Nakobe Dean
Linebacker Nakobe Dean is also relatively young, signing his three-year, $36 million deal at 25 years old. However, unlike Linderbaum, Dean was a late breakout for the Philadelphia Eagles. Drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, he didn’t become a starting linebacker until the 2023 season. Unfortunately, a Lisfranc injury cut his season short after just five games.
2024 was his breakout season. Dean earned 128 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three sacks, helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX. Unfortunately, Dean suffered a torn patellar tendon in the Eagles’ wild card bout against the Green Bay Packers.
He recovered by Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season, and he finished that season with 55 combined tackles, 4.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Time will tell if the Raiders are getting the 2024 version of Dean, or whether he can stay healthy. However, it’s wise to bank on that anyway.
No. 3: LB Quay Walker
They also nabbed Dean’s college teammate, Quay Walker. He was paid $40.5 million for three years.
Walker has been good at staying on the field, playing 58 of a possible 68 games in his career with the Green Bay Packers. He’s also consistently earned over 100 combined tackles, earning an average of 117.3 combined tackles through his past four years in Green Bay.
Walker is just the type of person the Raiders need in this 3-4 defense. Walker is an athletic freak, and the Raiders’ linebacker group of Devin White and Elandon Roberts was rough last season. He also has chemistry with Dean, as they were teammates with the Georgia Bulldogs.
No. 4: EDGE Kwity Paye
Kwity Paye was brought in at a three-year, $48 million clip to help fill a massive void. EDGE rusher Maxx Crosby was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for two first-round picks, so Paye will hope to get at least some of the production Crosby had with Las Vegas.
Paye has garnered 30.5 sacks through five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, so at the very least, he’s an adequate piece to have on the line. He’s still just 27 years old, so there could still be some untapped potential, but with better young edge rushers on the board, like Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe, the Raiders could’ve potentially missed out.
No. 5: WR Jalen Nailor
The Raiders did add a pass-catcher for Fernando Mendoza in this class: Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor. Las Vegas’ receiving room is pretty barren, with Tre Tucker, Jack Bech, and D’Onte Thornton as their top three options, so they signed Nailor for three years at $35 million.
However, Nailor is also unproven. He was the third option to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the passing attack, and overall, he had just 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns on 69 receptions in his four-year tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. He’s never had a season with over 450 receiving yards.
Nailor is a strong run-blocking wide receiver, but he shouldn’t be the only wide receiver the Raiders should target.
No. 6: K Matt Gay
The Raiders also brought on kicker Matt Gay to be their new kicker. Gay was with the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers. He started out as the Commanders’ kicker, but after going 13 for 19, they released him on November 17th, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers signed him on November 19th, and he made all four of his field goals. He also made every extra point in 2025, but he converted just 73.9% of his field goals on the year.
It’s hard to be overjoyed with this signing, especially with the Raiders replacing incumbent kicker Daniel Carlson in the process. Carlson converted on just 81.5% of his kicks, but that was a higher percentage than Gay in 2025. Safe to say, the Raiders might’ve downgraded on special teams.
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