They discussed previous game plays and tested his football IQ on a whiteboard, but a standout moment for Mendoza was a brief phone conversation with part-owner Tom Brady, which he called incredibly special.

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, several coaches from teams looking to add a quarterback believe that Geno Smith still has value in the market. They feel that his performance was hampered by the Raiders’ offensive system rather than a decline in his skills.

Although the Raiders are widely expected to select Mendoza as their next franchise leader, they prefer not to start a rookie quarterback in Week 1.

Since the team is financially committed to Smith for the upcoming season, they plan to keep him on the roster to start until Mendoza is fully ready to take over.

Head coach Klint Kubiak is reportedly eager to pursue Mendoza after reviewing his collegiate game film.

Mendoza stood out at Indiana, recording 3,535 passing yards and leading the nation with 41 passing touchdowns last season.

Kubiak believes these attributes are crucial for a Raiders offense that has struggled for consistency, arguing that Mendoza’s talent could complement existing roster weapons, such as Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.

The potential partnership of an emerging talent like Mendoza with the mentorship of Smith and Brady offers a clear path forward for a franchise in need of stability.

As the draft approaches, the focus remains on whether this promising alignment will officially take shape in Vegas, restoring the team’s competitive edge.

The post Raiders rumors: The Fernando Mendoza plan that will determine Geno Smith’s immediate future appeared first on ClutchPoints.

pic.twitter.com/TITvJz4maF

— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) February 28, 2026

The perception with nearly two full months to go before the draft is that the Raiders may select Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza — although there are no guarantees that will happen. The outstanding signal caller led Indiana to it first college football national championship as well as an undefeated season.

Prior the draft, the Raiders will have business to take care of in free agency. The Raiders clearly need talent and there have been rumors that they will trade Maxx Crosby, their outstanding edge rusher.

Crosby had surgery on his left knee to clean up a meniscus injury that was sustained last year. Crosby posted a video recently that showed him moving around rather easily on his basketball court and even hitting a shot from the free-throw line. He did not display any limp or appear to be in any kind of pain, but he was not running at anything close to full speed.

Raiders general manager John Spytek was asked about Crosby because he has been the subject of trade rumors, and he said he thought the dynamic pass rusher would remain with the Raiders in the 2026 season.

“Maxx is an elite player,” Spytek said, per Saad Yousuf of The Athletic. “I’ve been very upfront from the start when I got here that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them. It’s hard to build a great team without elite players.”

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NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero discussed the situation on The Rich Eisen Show, outlining why both quarterbacks could make sense in Minnesota.

“The ones that make sense to me, would be Kyler Murray coming in. He’s played a ton. He has not played in this offense. So, you get an opportunity to learn from Kevin O’Connell and we know he’s got play making ability. He’s fully healthy now. Geno Smith would also make some sense as a compete guy because again you can at some point you can turn it over. Even if those guys are your starters out of the gate and they outplay JJ McCarthy, at some point you can turn it over.”

Pelissero dismissed the possibility of reunions with Kirk Cousins or a pursuit of Aaron Rodgers, noting that such moves would complicate McCarthy’s developmental trajectory.

Minnesota’s quarterback outlook shifted quickly over the past two seasons. After Sam Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024, the franchise opted to move forward with McCarthy rather than re-sign Darnold, who later won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. Minnesota regressed to 9-8 in 2025 and missed the playoffs.

J.J. McCarthy, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith frame Vikings’ QB decision

McCarthy, 23, threw for 1,632 yards in 10 games, completing 57.6% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He posted a 72.6 passer rating and a 35.6 QBR while adding 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns, along with three fumbles.

Murray, 28, appeared in just five games for the Arizona Cardinals before a season-ending foot injury. He threw for 962 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions on a 68.3% completion rate, compiling an 88.6 passer rating. Murray also rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown. Arizona finished 3-14 after closing the season with Jacoby Brissett under center.

Smith, 35, completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for the Las Vegas Raiders. He posted an 84.7 passer rating and a 34.1 QBR across 15 games while adding 109 rushing yards. Las Vegas also finished 3-14.

Whether Minnesota ultimately adds a veteran remains uncertain, but the organization appears positioned to evaluate competition as it determines McCarthy’s long-term viability.

The post Kyler Murray, Geno Smith mentioned as possible J.J. McCarthy-Vikings’ competition appeared first on ClutchPoints.

At the NFL Combine, the Raiders and Mendoza had a formal meeting with each other, and from the sound of Mendoza, it went really well.

“It was a fantastic interview,” Mendoza said. “The coaching staff was in there, we went over some of my previous plays, drew some plays on the board. I thought it was a great meeting. I know they have the No. 1 pick, but anything can happen in the draft. I’m just excited for the opportunity, and whatever team drafts me, I’m going to give them everything I got.”

Fernando Mendoza on potentially being drafted into a situation with #Raiders minority owner Tom Brady:

“I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady. … He’s the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin.” pic.twitter.com/aoOWRa7n1V

— Levi Edwards (@theleviedwards) February 27, 2026

Mendoza was also able to say a few words to Tom Brady, who is a minority owner of the Raiders.

“I was able to say a brief ‘Hi’ to Brady on the phone, so that was very special for me, and I look forward to meeting him in person one day and learn from him,” Mendoza said.

There’s no doubt that Brady will have some say in who the Raiders draft, and if he really likes what Mendoza can do, he may just think he’s the pick. As for Mendoza, he’d love the opportunity to learn from one of the best quarterbacks that ever played.

“I mean, who hasn’t admired Tom Brady?” Mendoza said. “More Super Bowl rings than anybody. That opportunity would be fantastic. Tom Brady, I believe, is the greatest quarterback of all time by a wide margin, and having the opportunity to be mentored by him, it would mean so much.”

Mendoza would be going to the right franchise if the Raiders pick him, and he’ll be around a lot of offensive minds to help him.

The post Fernando Mendoza breaks silence on meeting with Raiders, talking to Tom Brady appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Rumors are flying around that the Raiders will part ways with Crosby, just one season after signing him to a three-year extension worth $106.5 million, which made him one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in league history.

While the 28-year-old defensive end has largely remained mum about the rumors, Pelissero was confident on the “Rich Eisen Show” that a deal will happen in the next few days.

“I would say it is fair to assume that the Raiders are getting many calls about Maxx Crosby. We heard what John Spytek said in this room. (He) expects Maxx to be back. Great relationship, texting, and talking. We have not heard from Maxx Crosby since that session. Maxx has many ways on social media or on a podcast to potentially respond,” said Pelissero.

“But I would say the Raiders don’t need to make calls. They will get calls on Maxx Crosby. Is there a world where Max Crosby gets traded in the next seven to 10 days? I believe there is.”

The Dallas Cowboys, the Buffalo Bills, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among the teams reportedly interested in trading for the two-time All-Pro.

Crosby is widely considered the heart and soul of the Raiders. He is well-beloved by fans because of his passion and intensity, while being a charismatic guy off the field.

For Las Vegas, it will be sad to see him go. But for Crosby, a fresh start could bode well for his career. Many believe that he is wasting his talent on the Raiders, who have been to the playoffs only once since moving to Sin City.

Last season, he logged 73 total tackles, including 45 solo tackles, and a career-best 28 tackles for loss.

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Fernando Mendoza, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is the presumed choice. The real question, though, isn’t whether Mendoza is good. It’s whether he’s good enough to ignore everything else.

2025 changed nothing

The Raiders’ 2025 campaign felt painfully familiar: new names, same results. It saw the arrival of head coach Pete Carroll and a trade for veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Despite those, Las Vegas stumbled to a 3-14 finish, last in the AFC West. The offense ranked dead last in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Smith turned the ball over at an alarming rate, often running for his life behind a patchwork offensive line.

There were minor positives, of course. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty nearly reached 1,000 rushing yards. He offered a glimpse of future stability. The season ended with a 14-12 home upset of the Kansas City Chiefs. It was an emotional win that did little to mask the broader dysfunction.

Carroll was dismissed immediately after the finale. John Spytek and the front office now stand at a crossroads, armed with the No. 1 pick and a franchise desperate for relevance.

Needs beyond quarterback

Yes, quarterback is the most visible vacancy. However, it is far from the only one. The Raiders’ performance in 2025 exposed systemic failures across the roster. The offensive line ranked last in rushing yards per game. They also struggled to create push in short-yardage situations. On the perimeter, the receiver room lacks vertical speed to complement Brock Bowers. Defensively, trade rumors around Maxx Crosby raise questions about the edge position. Meanwhile, the secondary was repeatedly exposed by elite AFC West passing attacks.

Whether Las Vegas keeps the pick or trades down, premium talent in the trenches and in the secondary is essential. After all, a quarterback cannot thrive behind a collapsing pocket and without explosive targets.

Mendoza vs. the haul

Fernando Mendoza is the obvious headline. The Indiana product won the Heisman and dazzled as a pinpoint passer. His rhythm-based accuracy fits Klint Kubiak’s system. The kid’s poise under pressure has won over many evaluators. That said, skepticism lingers.

Some scouts have compared him to “a faster Jared Goff with a slightly weaker arm.” That basically means he’s good — just not transformational. The central question is whether Mendoza projects as elite or merely good.

The gap between Mendoza and the next tier of quarterbacks, including players like Ty Simpson of Alabama or Dante Moore, is not universally viewed as massive inside league circles. If that’s true, the Raiders could be better served leveraging desperation elsewhere rather than betting everything on one arm.

With that, here are a few hypotheticals to consider, under varying degrees of practicality.

“Aaron Glenn desperation” deal

The New York Jets sit at No. 2. They are desperate for stability after years of quarterback chaos. If Aaron Glenn’s organization views Mendoza as the savior, Las Vegas holds leverage. A trade could see the Raiders move down just one spot. Las Vegas could theoretically receive the No. 2 overall, a 2026 second-rounder, and a 2027 first-round pick. That would be a calculated heist.

Vegas still selects a blue-chip player in this scenario. Perhaps they can select edge rusher David Bailey or offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. At the same time, they’d acquire future capital to rebuild the rest of the roster. If the Raiders believe Mendoza is only marginally better than Simpson or Moore, moving down one spot while gaining premium picks is strategic malpractice avoidance.

“Bridge to the future” swap

Minnesota looms as another suitor. Rumors suggest the Vikings see themselves as a quarterback away from contention. A hypothetical deal could send JJ McCarthy, two future first-round picks, and a starting-caliber wide receiver to Las Vegas in exchange for the No. 1 pick.

This move provides a 23-year-old quarterback with measured competence and something to play for. McCarthy would serve as a bridge without the steep developmental curve of a rookie. In addition, more draft capital fortifies a defense that ranked among the league’s worst in 2025. For a front office that must show incremental progress quickly, that stability carries a ton of appeal.

Crosby-anchored blockbuster

The prior two options are big moves. They would turn heads. This one, though, is the nuclear option.

Maxx Crosby’s name has circulated in trade speculation. If the Raiders truly embrace a scorched-earth rebuild, they could package the No. 1 pick and Crosby to a contender for a historic haul of four or more first-rounders across multiple years.

This approach leans fully into financial flexibility. Las Vegas currently boasts the second-most cap space in the league. By stockpiling picks and clearing elite contracts, the Raiders could eventually construct a roster so deep and talented that quarterback becomes less burdensome.

It’s radical and risky. The Raiders would bet on their front office making the most of such a major haul. That said, it also aligns with a long-term rebuild rather than a quick fix.

Looking ahead

Quarterbacks define eras, but rosters win divisions. Fernando Mendoza may very well become a franchise quarterback. He may validate the hype and stabilize Las Vegas for a decade. Still, if the Raiders’ evaluators believe the gap between him and the next tier isn’t seismic, the smarter move may be to monetize desperation.

Trading down one spot while collecting a future first. Acquiring a young bridge quarterback and draft ammunition. Or detonating the entire timeline for a mountain of picks. Those are the only trades worth considering.

Because in a scenario where the Raiders are wrong about Mendoza, they lose more than a draft pick. They lose another era.

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With the quarterback issue hopefully resolving itself in the draft, expect the Raiders to make their offensive line headache a top priority in the 2026 NFL offseason.

Las Vegas has already committed to starting over from scratch for the second consecutive offseason when general manager John Spytek fired Pete Carroll after just one season. It fortunately has the resources to do so in the 2026 offseason. The Raiders are projected to have $91.5 million in cap space, per Over the Cap, the second-most in the league.

Spytek must be aggressive with those assets in free agency if new head coach Klint Kubiak and expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza are to have any chance of building a solid foundation together. Nothing will be more important than improving the offensive line, which the Raiders failed to do in 2025. Las Vegas has already learned the hard way how quickly a season can unravel without five solid blockers anchoring its offense.

The Raiders will need more than one crucial free agent signing to fix all the flaws they have as a franchise, but signing veteran center Connor McGovern would be a big step in the right direction.

Raiders’ offensive line is their biggest flaw

The Raiders’ offensive line was easily the worst in the NFL in 2025, unsurprisingly leading to them ending the season tied for the worst record.

Everything fell apart early when their best offensive lineman, left tackle Kolton Miller, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4. Miller was the only Las Vegas offensive lineman to play more than 100 snaps and receive at least a league-average player grade on Pro Football Focus. The 30-year-old would have been the seventh-highest rated offensive tackle in 2025 if he played enough snaps to qualify.

Aside from Miller, everything else was a mess up front. The injury forced the Raiders to rely on DJ Glaze and Stone Forsythe as their tackles, who allowed 88 combined pressures and 21 sacks, the most of any tackle duo in the league.

The interior situation was almost as bad, with Las Vegas benching center Jordan Meredith after Week 12, moving guard Alex Cappa onto the ball. Cappa, a historically solid guard, struggled with the position change, which weakened the team’s new guard tandem of Jackson Powers-Johnson and Dylan Parham.

The entire fiasco led to the Raiders ending the year dead last in sacks allowed, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Spytek could stand to upgrade every position sans Miller, but the team needs a center more than anything. Connor McGovern, a 2024 Pro Bowler who is still just 28 years old, should be the Raiders’ No. 1 target in the 2026 offseason.

Connor McGovern would solve many issues

Adding a stout center like Connor McGovern in the 2026 offseason would allow the Raiders to shift their entire offensive line rotation. Cappa would be free to move back to guard and replace impending free agent Dylan Parham, with Miller ideally returning at left tackle.

Although Cappa was the Raiders’ lowest-rated offensive lineman in 2025, he was forced into a difficult situation with Carroll moving him to center out of necessity. Before the tumultuous 2025 season, Cappa posted league-average numbers at guard, where he should return in 2026. Las Vegas has the cap space to find an upgrade from Cappa, but that money would be better spent on other positions while giving the 31-year-old a full season to play his natural position.

The Raiders will have their choice of veteran offensive linemen to choose from in the 2026 free agency class. Joel Bitonio, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Kevin Zeitler, Jermaine Eluemunor and Wyatt Teller should also be on Spytek’s list.

But aside from McGovern, most of the premier free agents have already aged past their primes. Las Vegas needs someone capable of joining the Kubiak-Mendoza rebuild over the next few years.

McGovern will not come cheap, but the Raiders can afford to give him the amount he deserves in free agency. The Bills’ entire offensive line improved when he joined them in 2023, making him the exact type of difference-maker Las Vegas needs in 2026.

The Raiders need to add more than just one offensive lineman in the offseason — they need an upgrade at right tackle almost as much as they need a new center. They fortunately have the cap space and draft capital to address each area in the coming months. Adding a Kadyn Proctor-like offensive tackle in the draft early on Day Two would be ideal.

The post 1 free agent who would fix Raiders’ biggest flaw heading into 2026 season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While usual Fantasy Football drafts won’t take place till much later, there’s no denying that Jeanty was considered to be a high draft pick with the immense talent he has coming off a rookie season where he rushed for 975 yards and five touchdowns. However, Kubiak would say that he wants to have a “two-man show” in the backfield along with Jeanty, stating how crucial it is for the Boise State product to have a “wingman.”

“We definitely want…guys that can share the load,” Kubiak said, via video from The Coachspeak Index. “It’s a long season. You don’t want to put all the carries and targets on one guy. So right now we’re identifying guys that are available in the draft, identifying free agents we might go after, looking at our own roster and seeing who can share that.”

#Raiders HC Klint Kubiak on the backfield:

“Definitely want to have a two-man show there, guys that can share the load. It’s a long season. You don’t want to put all the carries and targets on one guy… it is important that [Ashton] Jeanty has a wingman — and it’s probably not… pic.twitter.com/nDO3zzVffp

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) February 26, 2026

Raiders’ Klint Kubiak “excited” about Ashton Jeanty’s talent 

After a strong rookie season for the Raiders running back, Jeanty looks to improve in his sophomore season, though it appears expected that his usage won’t be like a bell cow running back. Still, Kubiak is very aware of the talent that Jeanty possesses, as he spoke about it in his introductory press conference.

“Very excited about his talent, but what I would tell him and all his teammates is it’s not about one guy,” Kubiak said on Feb 10, via Ari Meirov. “We gotta get the line on the same page, we gotta get our QB to get the right run checks, we gotta get our receivers to block for him, so we can get the play-action going.”

New #Raiders HC Klint Kubiak, asked about RB Ashton Jeanty:

“Very excited about his talent, but what I would tell him and all his teammates is it’s not about one guy. We gotta get the line on the same page, we gotta get our QB to get the right run checks, we gotta get our… https://t.co/bKnCZZmSBc pic.twitter.com/N1QSaDyZQO

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 10, 2026

It remains to be seen what Jeanty’s workload looks like and who Las Vegas will get as the running back’s “wingman.”

The post Klint Kubiak’s ‘wingman’ comments on Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty could stray away Fantasy Football owners appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Las Vegas is requesting two first-round picks and a player in any trade for the pass rusher, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It’s a similar structure to what the Dallas Cowboys got for Micah Parsons.

“Per a league source, the Raiders are looking for two first-round picks and a player for the 28-year-old edge rusher,” Florio wrote. “The quality of player the Raiders want wasn’t specified. Presumably, it’s a starting-caliber contributor.”

“Another factor surely will be the position of the first-round pick. Two ones from a perennial playoff team are obviously not the same as two first-rounders from a chronic also-ran,” he continued. “Still, it shows that there’s a price. That Crosby isn’t untradeable. That a deal will happen if a team makes an offer the Raiders will accept.”

While Crosby has been an elite player during his time in the league, the Raiders have found little success. As his career goes further, the pass rusher wants to compete for Super Bowl titles. With Las Vegas set to undergo a rebuild, he may not get that opportunity soon with the franchise.

Trading Crosby away would certainly jumpstart that rebuild, especially if the Raiders get what they’re asking for. Over his seven seasons in the NFL, the pass rusher has put up 439 tackles, 133 for a loss, 164 quarterback hits and 69.5 sacks. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons.

The Crosby saga is sure to be winding before a resolution is met. But if a team could match the Raiders’ trade demands, a deal becomes far more likely.

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Macdonald revealed he received hundreds of congratulatory messages after his team defeated the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX. Among those who reached out was the former legendary quarterback himself. Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, sent his congratulations following the Seahawks’ championship run.

Kubiak spent just one season in Seattle, but it was a memorable and highly successful run. He coordinated the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX-winning offense during the 2025 season before departing in February 2026 to become head coach of the Raiders. His brief yet rewarding tenure, which ended on the sport’s biggest stage, quickly propelled him to a head coaching opportunity in Las Vegas, prompting Seattle to elevate Brian Fleury to offensive coordinator and setting the stage for Macdonald’s playful response to Brady.

The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov shared the clip on X (formerly known as Twitter) as Macdonald revealed what he texted the seven-time Super Bowl–winning quarterback after lifting the Lombardi Trophy during a Wednesday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

“I told him, ‘thanks for stealing our offensive coordinator.’”

#Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald says Tom Brady was among the people who texted him after beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“I told him, ‘Thanks for stealing our offensive coordinator.’”

( @ESPNNFL, @RichEisenShow)

pic.twitter.com/C5DiVq7RQ6

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 26, 2026

Meirov shared the quote as discussion grew around the Raiders’ aggressive hire. Though delivered in jest, the remark highlighted how quickly championship staffs become targets across the league. Seattle fans now shift their focus to whether Fleury can sustain the offensive momentum built during the Super Bowl run.

The exchange also spotlighted Brady’s evolving influence within the Raiders organization. No longer impacting games on the field, he now plays a meaningful role in shaping the franchise’s direction from the ownership level. The decision to hire Kubiak reflects that aggressive, forward-looking approach as Las Vegas works to build a contender for the 2026 season and beyond.

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Of course, the reward for sitting through such a miserable campaign is that Las Vegas holds the keys now to the NFL Draft and will be on the clock first on April 23. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the presumed first overall pick, and the Raiders have a need at quarterback after Smith’s underwhelming season. As a result, Mendoza has been the assumed pick in Las Vegas.

This is a shallow quarterback class, with Mendoza being the only guy regarded as a future franchise quarterback after Oregon’s Dante Moore chose to go back to school for the 2026 season. As a result, there are surely a number of teams interested in calling the Raiders to move up to the top spot as they look to address their quarterback needs.

Even though the Raiders are likely to get some enticing offers for the top pick and Mendoza, there is no circumstance where they should trade the pick away. Here’s everything about Mendoza that makes him the right guy for Las Vegas as it embarks on its latest rebuild.

Mendoza has the infectious personality of a franchise QB

Before we get into the football reasons why Mendoza is worth the No. 1 pick in the draft, let’s talk about him as a leader. Every time he steps in front of a microphone, it’s clear why Mendoza’s teammates and coaches love him. Curt Cignetti gets a load of the credit for leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and a national championship, but Mendoza deserves some credit for that as well.

By all accounts, Mendoza is a very hard worker and a great leader, and you can see that in the way that he plays and the way that his teammates play for him. The Raiders are in desperate need of a culture reset, but new head coach Klint Kubiak isn’t a rah-rah personality. Maybe Mendoza can be the guy to inject that locker room with some life and help turn things around in 2026 and beyond.

This should also make Mendoza’s rookie year a big positive because, even if he isn’t lighting things up on the field as he adjusts to NFL life, he will have a positive impact on the Las Vegas locker room.

Mendoza is a prototypical quarterback who can thrive under Kubiak

Mendoza isn’t the dynamic athlete that some of the very best quarterbacks in the world are, but he is a capable athlete who can get out of the pocket and make plays with his legs when necessary. However, he has the traits as a passer that you look for in a potential franchise quarterback.

The first thing that sticks out about Mendoza is his accuracy. He almost never misses a throw at any level, and is willing to push the ball down the field when the chance presents itself. He had success against both man and zone coverages this season, and while the passing game dried up sometimes against the best defenses on Indiana’s schedule, Mendoza still showed the ability to fit the ball into some tight windows.

Kubiak’s offense involves a lot of play action and throwing the ball over the middle of the field, things that Sam Darnold did very well in Seattle this year. Mendoza is proficient in those areas and won’t hesitate to attack the deeper windows in the middle rather than settling for checkdowns.

The other thing that Mendoza has in common with Darnold, Kubiak’s last quarterback, is his toughness. Nothing phases the Cal transfer, and it seems like he is able to put just about anything behind him. Take the Big Ten Championship Game, for example. Mendoza was nearly knocked out of the game by Caden Curry on the very first play with a massive hit, but he missed just one play before returning and leading Indiana to a 13-10 win.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Mendoza won’t have some growing pains in the NFL, as he is far from a perfect prospect. First, Kubiak runs a lot of his offense from under center, which is something that Mendoza almost never did at Indiana. He will have to get much more comfortable with his back to the defense in Las Vegas.

The other common criticism of Mendoza is that he ran a lot of RPOs at Indiana, which is true. Curt Cignetti built a large part of his offense around having Mendoza read just one player in those RPOs, something that Kubiak didn’t do a ton of in Seattle. It will be interesting to see how much of those schemes he implements to help Mendoza ease into the league and give him some easy buttons.

Mendoza is a no-brainer pick

Here’s the bottom line: even if Mendoza isn’t a generational quarterback prospect, he is the easy choice at No. 1 for the Raiders. Teams spend years and years searching for good quarterback play, and there are few avenues to get that like taking one at the top of the draft.

Is Mendoza’s ceiling that of a top five quarterback in football? That I don’t know. But there’s no question that, based on what he showed at Indiana and even before that in a much worse situation at Cal, that he can be a good quarterback that you can win with year after year. That makes him the easy choice for the Raiders, no matter what else they have on the table.

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That’s what Kubiak, who is 39 years old, claimed when talking about the former Indiana Hoosiers quarterback, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Kubiak didn’t outright say he plans on selecting Mendoza No. 1 overall, but did reveal some qualities he likes about him.

“I’m excited to keep learning about him,” said Kubiak. “He’s won a national championship, and you want a winner. We’re still in the process of going through his whole season, and we’ll learn more about him this week.”

Fernando Mendoza joined Indiana last season as a transfer quarterback. He emerged as an immediate star under Curt Cignetti, recording 3,535 passing yards, 276 rushing yards, and 48 total touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his pass attempts. The 22-year-old quarterback’s 41 passing touchdowns were the most in the nation last season.

Kubiak takes over a Raiders team that largely struggled on offense. Las Vegas just couldn’t consistently move the ball effectively with Geno Smith under center. A more consistent option under center could be exactly what this team needs, as Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty have the potential to serve as key weapons for a talented quarterback.

With the Raiders owning pick No. 1, and Fernando Mendoza arguably being the top quarterback available, it could be a match made in heaven in Las Vegas.

The post What Klint Kubiak is ‘excited’ about during Raiders’ Fernando Mendoza pursuit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Still on the roster in Las Vegas is quarterback Geno Smith, who was also brought in from the Seahawks prior to last year, and suffered through a disastrous season for the Raiders, opening the door for Mendoza’s likely arrival.

Recently, Kubiak spoke on what the future looks like for Smith during a media availability at the ongoing NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

“Trying to see every possible avenue we can go next year at quarterback, and he’s definitely one of those options,” reported Ryan McFadden of ESPN on X, formerly Twitter.

McFadden also reported that “Kubiak said he has spoken to Smith briefly since being hired.”

While Kubiak was unlikely to fully commit to Smith or reveal the Raiders’ draft choice during an interview at the NFL Combine, it was still an interesting answer.

Raiders fans are certainly hoping that the team indeed selects Mendoza at number one and starts him from the opening week of the season. While Mendoza may not fit the bill of a prototypical number one overall quarterback selection in 2026, he still showcased some elite skills during his run at Indiana, including big arm talent and the ability to make plays in the running game.

If the Raiders do select him, it will be interesting to see whether they opt to keep Smith onboard s a backup or if they explore trades or other avenues.

The NFL Draft is slated to take place in late April in Pittsburgh.

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Spytek detailed Brady’s expected involvement in comments captured in a video snippet shared Tuesday by Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated. The remarks come as Las Vegas evaluates its direction at quarterback following a 3-14 season.

“He’s the best to ever do it and so I think whoever the quarterback is playing for the Raiders has a unique opportunity to learn from the best. Tom’s got a lot of humility to him and just because he did it a certain way, he doesn’t have expectations since you do it all that way too but there are some things that he’s not compromising on. I think whoever the quarterback is for the Raiders, I think Tom is a great resource for them.”

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, joined the Raiders’ ownership group in 2024. His presence adds Hall of Fame experience to a franchise seeking stability after a difficult campaign.

Raiders GM John Spytek on the benefits a young quarterback will get learning from Tom Brady.

Maybe Fernando Mendoza will get a few pointers from the GOAT … Maybe pic.twitter.com/kR72a9woWv

— Gilberto Manzano (@GManzano24) February 24, 2026

Tom Brady set to mentor Raiders’ next franchise quarterback

Las Vegas struggled in 2025 under head coach Pete Carroll, who was dismissed following the season. Quarterback Geno Smith, 35, threw for 3,025 yards with a 67.4% completion rate, totaling 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions across 15 games. He posted an 84.7 passer rating and a 34.1 QBR while adding 109 rushing yards on 41 carries with one fumble. His future with the organization remains uncertain.

The Raiders now hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 23–25 in Pittsburgh. ESPN’s latest mock draft links Las Vegas to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza, 22, led the Hoosiers to their first national championship with an undefeated season. In his junior year, he threw for 3,535 yards on 72% passing with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions, compiling a 182.9 passer rating. He also rushed for 276 yards and seven touchdowns.

With the Raiders set to select a rookie quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick, Spytek made clear that Brady’s role will center on mentorship and high standards. As Las Vegas resets at quarterback, the franchise intends to lean on one of the sport’s most accomplished figures to help shape its next era.

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However, it remains unknown where he will end up.

On Tuesday, league insiders said it’s not a forgone conclusion that Menodza will be No.1, per Eric Williams of Fox Sports. They even cite last year’s draft prospects.

“He would have been No. 3 for me last year behind Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward,” an NFL personnel executive told Williams. “He’s a pocket QB with quick eyes and a quick release. He processes coverage and pressure at a high rate. Good arm strength and excellent accuracy. He’s tough and shows poise in high-stress situations. Excellent make-up. NFL starter.”

Additionally, Fox Sports draft analyst Rob Rang heaped praise on Mendoza for his ability to rise to the occasion in the big moments.

“A lot of times you get quarterbacks who don’t have enough courage to throw the ball with anticipation and just trust that they have enough velocity and accuracy to make the throw,” Rang told Williams. “And he does. … But I do think you need to surround him with some legitimate playmakers to guarantee he’s going to be successful.”

Rang also stated that he would have chosen Mendoza as the No.1 pick in last year’s draft, as opposed to Cam Ward.

“I wasn’t a big Cam Ward guy, at least not as much as everyone else,” Rang said. “And I’ve been very impressed by some of the backyard plays that he was again able to make in the NFL, just like he did at Miami and WSU.”

It’s been reported that the Las Vegas Raiders are interested in Mendoza.

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“Spytek on receiving potential calls from other teams regarding the No. 1 pick: ‘I learned a long time ago, always listen. I’m always listening.'”

And that is clearly the best stance. It’s always a good idea. And the best example is the Dallas Cowboys. If they had refused to listen to offers for superstar running back Herschel Walker back in 1989, they likely would not have built the dynasty that brought them three Super Bowl titles.

Furthermore, Fernando Mendoza isn’t even seen as a can’t-miss prospect. If the right deal comes along, the Raiders should pounce.

Should Raiders stick with QB Fernando Mendoza?

Pretty much everybody expects it to roll that way. The Raiders desperately need a quarterback. Mendoza is the best available in the draft. And Mendoza wants to play in Las Vegas, according to Fox Sports.

“I’d be blessed and honored to play for the Raiders, or I’d be blessed to play for any team,” he said. “Any NFL team that drafts me, I’d be ecstatic. I know at the draft, I’ll probably shed a tear or two just because it’s such a full-circle moment for me.”

However, not everybody buys into the selection, according to the First Things First podcast via Fox Sports.

“Given how many holes the Raiders have and the comp for Mendoza seems to be that he’s a Jared Goff type who’s a little faster, but with a little worse arm — that can miss,” Danny Parkins said. “That’s [not what the quarterbacks in the NFL look like today]. That can miss.

“This draft, there might be more demand than there is supply. If you can put up the rights to Mendoza for the Jets, Steelers, Dolphins, and anyone that needs a quarterback, you can get a heist for him.”

Yes, a heist sounds nice if you’re a Raiders fan. Clearly, Mendoza is overvalued because of a thin quarterback market. And maybe the Raiders should take advantage and get a haul.

The post What Raiders GM John Spytek said about No. 1 pick trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With the Raiders and Crosby both needing to determine their next moves, the Combine serves as the primary stage for clarity on whether the star remains part of the organization’s long-term blueprint.

Despite the surrounding noise, Raiders general manager John Spytek recently reinforced Crosby’s importance to the franchise.

According to James Palmer on X, Spytek stated that it is hard to build a great team without great players. The GM shared that he maintains an excellent relationship with Crosby and that the two communicate frequently.

Spytek also noted that Crosby continues to be a dedicated presence within the facility, being in the building every day.

These comments suggest that while outside interest may persist, the Raiders’ leadership currently views Crosby as an essential piece of their rebuilding puzzle.

The situation is further defined by what Ian Rapoport calls a complicated trade landscape, fueled by a significant knee injury Crosby suffered late last season. After being upset about being sidelined for the final games, Crosby underwent a surgical repair in January.

Because the procedure was a full repair rather than a minor trim, his recovery timeline likely prevents him from being medically cleared for a trade by the start of the new league year in March.

This physical setback, combined with the GM’s public support, indicates that any potential departure would be a difficult and highly complex process for both parties to navigate before the 2026 season begins.

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Former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco explained what he would do with the first overall pick in a recent interview.

“There is no guarantee next year. You do not know where you are drafting. You do not know which quarterbacks are going to be available,” Telesco to Peter Schrager, via Michael Canelo of Sports Illustrated . “Last year at this time, we thought it was going to be a really good quarterback class, and it did not turn out to be quite like that. You just never know. People who say, I know where the draft will be in 2027 and 2028, no one truly knows. We barely know about this draft and who will plan it out.”

Telesco was the general manager in Las Vegas for the 2024 season. Previously he was the general manager with the Chargers from 2013-23.

Telesco argued that there is no way the Raiders should pass up Mendoza, even if they are offered a huge trade package.

“If I am there, you cannot offer me enough,” Telesco added. “Like, I am taking [Fernando] Mendoza, fully knowing we need a lot of other help around him, that we are going to have to build on the fly. They got plenty of cap space this year. I think they have a good amount of draft picks … And you start using your resources the best you can to put around Mendoza. Get them there, and away you go.”

The Raiders do have plenty of resources to build a winner around Mendoza quickly.

Las Vegas has roughly $91.52 million in cap space to start the offseason. In fact, the only team with more cap space is Tennessee. The Raiders are positioned well to be big players during NFL free agency.

The Raiders also boast 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving them access to several young players on cost-controlled contracts.

If the Raiders do draft Mendoza, they need to sell out to build a team around him as quickly as possible.

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Executives, coaches and scouts around the league will gather in Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium for the NFL Combine, and while there, the Raiders will have a chance to thoroughly address the Crosby situation.

“If there is a time to discuss a trade, it is this week in Indianapolis,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported on “Good Morning Football.” “It is no secret that Crosby has been frustrated by the constant turnover and change in Las Vegas… We also know that the Raiders have made some efforts to have talks with Crosby… Everybody has to decide what the proper course of action is moving forward.”

It’s a big week for Maxx Crosby and the Raiders, who continue to discuss his future, as well as Daniel Jones and the Colts, who have eight days to strike a deal or potentially tag him. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/EfztRoorlh

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 23, 2026

The two-time Second-Team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler signed a three-year, $106.5 million contract extension last March, but there are still questions about his level of contentment with the organization. Crosby has experienced just one playoff game and one winning campaign during his seven years and counting on the Raiders.

Several coaches have come and gone since the former fourth-round draft pick entered the NFL. Whether it be a credible Super Bowl champion like Pete Carroll or a passionate first-timer like Antonio Pierce, the end result remains the same. This squad is languishing in irrelevance, and given the state of the loaded AFC West, promise may not be on the horizon.

Raiders have to figure out if Maxx Crosby still fits in their puzzle

The success Klint Kubiak enjoyed while running the offense for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks is certainly eye-catching, but this is hardly the first time Maxx Crosby has seen a supposed purveyor of change roll into town. There is always a chance he runs out of patience before the Raiders have the opportunity to carry out their new blueprint.

The 28-year-old left the facility in frustration after the team shut him down for the final two games of the 2025-26 campaign, so it may not take much to push him over the edge. One must also look at things through the Las Vegas lens. The front office’s focus will likely be on assembling a roster that can maximize the development of a young QB, and the most practical way to accomplish that objective could be by dealing away an established talent who plays a premium position.

Tom Pelissero thinks both parties will take the time to consider their options during the NFL Combine.

“The fact the other 31 teams are in Indianapolis this week allows multiple things,” he said on Monday morning. “I would expect Crosby’s representatives and the Raiders to meet, but also, there could be a variety of different conversations with other teams about what a trade would look like.”

In the event that Vegas does shop the Michigan native, the organization is reportedly seeking a Micah Parsons-like package in return, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Considering the gap in age and performance between the two players, such an asking price could turn off prospective suitors. Crosby recorded 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, 53 total pressures, 45 solo tackles and a career-high 28 tackles for loss in 15 games last season.

While fans obviously have strong opinions about No. 98’s long-term status with the franchise, they just want to move past all the uncertainty. Maxx Crosby is currently committed to Las Vegas, so this could come down to how management feels about its competitive timetable. Fernando Mendoza will not throw at the NFL Combine, but hopefully the Raiders leave Indy with some valuable intel all the same.

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ESPN polled multiple executives, coaches, and players on three big questions related to the 2026 NFL draft class. One of those three questions was whether or not the Raiders will use the first overall pick on Fernando Mendoza.

All eight NFL insiders voted that Las Vegas would keep the pick and select Mendoza.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote that NFL sources believe “there’s zero chance” the Raiders move out of the top spot and pass on Mendoza.

“Never say never, but never,” one AFC executives on the subject, using a quote made famous by former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

There’s no question that having a quarterback on a rookie contract is a massive advantage in the modern NFL. Now the Raiders have their chance to add a talented passer on a cost-controlled rookie deal.

Las Vegas still has a questionable roster heading into the offseason. That even caused Derek Carr to previously caution the Raiders against taking Mendoza, a take he has since walked back.

But NFL executives seem to think Mendoza is talented enough to merit the first overall pick, no matter what.

“The Raiders’ roster is bad, but Mendoza is the best passer in the draft and it’s not close,” an NFC executive said. “You can’t pass that up. He’s accurate to all levels of the field with a good arm, plus-size and good character.”

Another executive pointed to Mendoza’s demeanor as another reason he’s worthy of the first overall pick.

“That can be his superpower,” another NFC executive said about Mendoza’s demeanor. “… He’s really that focused, and I think guys will gravitate toward that.”

The Raiders enter the offseason with $91.52 million in cap space, which is second to only the Titans. That puts Las Vegas in a situation where they can substantially improve their roster before even selecting Mendoza.

It will be fascinating to see how Las Vegas approaches free agency with a potential Mendoza pick hanging over everything.

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That’s also why the 2026 cap conversation in Vegas is different from the usual doom-and-gloom. The Raiders already project as one of the league’s most cap-flexible teams, but a lot of space can vanish fast when you start paying for a quarterback plan and pricing in the inevitable injuries. Clearing cap in Las Vegas it’s about leverage, creating the kind of flexibility that lets you dictate terms in free agency.

Here are four moves the Raiders need to make to open even more room, and more importantly, to make the room usable at the exact moment the Raiders need it most.

Geno Smith

If Las Vegas is truly pivoting to a new era, Smith’s contract can’t be the anchor that slows the turn. The Raiders can’t afford a scenario where they’re paying starter money while also drafting a quarterback first overall, then still needing to spend to fix the line and the defense.

The clean move is to get out of the veteran QB cost structure, whether that’s a trade if there’s interest, or a release if the market isn’t there. Either way, the cap relief is a freedom to build the roster for the quarterback you actually want long-term. Keeping Smith only makes sense if the Raiders are confident they aren’t drafting a franchise QB at No. 1, and right now, that doesn’t feel like where this is headed.

Christian Wilkins

Big interior defensive line contracts are fine when the rest of the roster is stable. Vegas isn’t stable yet, but they’re under construction. Wilkins is exactly the type of deal you restructure early under a new regime.

It’s a classic contender trick, but it also works for a rebuild with a clear timeline. If Crosby stays, Wilkins becomes even more valuable because your front can actually wreck protections without needing blitz-heavy hero ball. The goal is to stop letting one number take up more space than it needs to in the year you’re trying to build everything else.

Kolton Miller

If the Raiders want to turn cap space into real roster leverage, Miller is the kind of player you at least put on the table. Quality left tackles carry strong trade value, and in a true rebuild, you can’t be afraid to convert an expensive veteran into flexibility plus draft capital, especially if the plan is to reset the offense around a rookie quarterback and align the line’s timeline with the new core.

The softer option is an extension/restructure that lowers his 2026 cap hit while keeping the blind side protected, but if Kubiak’s staff believes they can replace tackle play through the draft and cheaper veterans, moving Miller is one of the cleanest ways to create usable cap room and accelerate the rebuild.

Maxx Crosby

If you want Crosby to stay, you put the commitment in writing, and you structure it intelligently. The best cap-clearing move the Raiders can make is also the most symbolic: extend Crosby, then reshape the cap hit so 2026 becomes a launch year instead of a holding pattern. With this, it will lower the immediate cap burden, and it signals to the locker room that the Raiders are finally serious about keeping elite talent, and it gives Kubiak a clear defensive identity from Day 1. Most importantly, it changes the story around the franchise. There are several teams interested in him, too, so a fine trade could be the right option for the Las Vegas Raiders.

And also, that quarterback’s future is already looming over everything. Las Vegas has the first overall pick in the 2026 draft and a glaring need at QB, which is why Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza keeps popping up as a popular theory. Kubiak, to his credit, hasn’t tried to play scout-on-a-podium.

He’s been candid that his exposure to Mendoza is limited, saying he saw him in the national championship game, saw the postgame interviews, liked how team-oriented he came off, and called him a talented player with a bright future, but also admitted the Raiders have a lot of work to do before the draft.

The Raiders need to clear cap space for one crucial reason: 2026 is the first time in a while that they can actually dictate terms rather than react to their own issues. First, they should stabilize the foundation by securing their true cornerstone player and providing real guarantees behind that commitment. This will help reduce trade rumors and send a clear message to the locker room.

At quarterback, it’s essential not to straddle two timelines. If they are planning to draft a new franchise player, they should move on from the veteran contract structure and stop allocating starter-level resources to a transition player they do not fully believe in.

Next, they need to clean up the largest veteran contracts so that their 2026 cap hits reflect the current state of the team rather than what they hope it will become. Those figures shouldn’t prevent improvements to the offensive line and secondary.

By creating cap space appropriately, the Raiders will enter free agency in a position to add multiple starters without the need for panic restructures.

They can also approach the draft with the freedom to select the best player available rather than settling for the most affordable option, and this strategy will help transform their three-win season into something legitimate and a solid plan that can withstand tough times.

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ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed who’s officially heading to Sin City.

“Former Iowa RB coach Omar Young has been named the running backs coach of the Las Vegas Raiders,” Schefter posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.

Obviously developing Jeanty and the rest of the RB room rises to the forefront for Young. Especially with Kubiak likely bringing in a run-heavy approach via the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Young, though, brings plenty of NFL experience into his new post.

Ex-Iowa assistant has unique ties to Raiders

While the franchise relocated to Las Vegas back in Jan. 2020, the team has deep Oakland roots.

Also known as Young’s place of birth.

Young grew up around the Silver and Black and got one of his early coaching starts in the Bay Area. He once guided the wide receivers at DeAnza College in 2009. He’s also a Berkeley High graduate.

The Cleveland Browns handed him his first NFL gig in 2015 as an offensive assistant. He later became quality control coach for the Green Bay Packers from 2017-18. The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots (under then head coach Jerod Mayo) were two more league stops.

Young has no previous connection to Kubiak. However, he’s familiar with incoming offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko — as both were past Bears assistants.

Kubiak continues to build out his first staff including luring Seahawks assistant Rick Dennison with him to Vegas.

The post Former Iowa assistant hired to oversee Ashton Jeanty’s development appeared first on ClutchPoints.

This is where smart roster-building gets blunt. You keep the rare pieces, replace the replaceable ones, and don’t pay premium prices for roles you can recreate with younger legs and cheaper contracts.

With that in mind, here are seven Raiders free agents who make the most sense to let walk.

Malcolm Koonce, DE

Koonce is the kind of player who can get priced like a centerpiece if the market is hungry for edge help. The problem is that paying market heat money for a pass rusher who isn’t a consistent, week-to-week game-wrecker is how you end up cutting corners elsewhere. Las Vegas needs edge juice, sure, but it also needs flexibility, and the clean move here is letting Koonce cash in somewhere else while the Raiders keep building their front with younger, cheaper bodies and targeted upgrades.

Kenny Pickett, QB

If you’re resetting anything about your offense, you don’t tie up real money at backup quarterback unless it’s a very specific role with a very specific plan. Pickett’s name has been a headline part of the Raiders’ free-agent list, which tells you there’s going to be a market for him as a bridge or a high-end No. 2. The Raiders should let that market be someone else’s bill.

Daniel Carlson, K

This is where fans get annoyed, because Carlson has been steady. But kicker contracts can quietly become bad value when you’re paying for comfort instead of upside. If the number gets pushed up, the Raiders can replace kicker production without spending premium dollars and use that cap space on positions that actually decide playoff games.

Jamal Adams, LB

Adams’ name on the Raiders’ own UFA tracker tells you he’s up this spring. The bigger question is what you’re actually buying at this point: the player’s peak reputation, or a role player you can find in multiple places for less. Las Vegas needs speed and reliability on defense, especially in space, and if Adams is priced like anything more than a specialized piece, it’s an easy “thank you and good luck” decision.

Tyler Lockett, WR

Lockett is a respected pro, but wide receiver is one of the spots where teams talk themselves into nostalgia contracts. The Raiders need to get younger and more explosive. If Lockett wants a meaningful deal, there’s no reason for Las Vegas to be the team paying it when those targets and snaps should be going to developing options or to a more age-aligned addition.

Eric Stokes, CB

Cornerback is brutal, and that’s exactly why Stokes could get paid. But paying starter money for a corner you’re not fully certain is a long-term solution is how you end up patching the position again next year. If Stokes’ market climbs, let him walk.

Stone Forsythe, OT

Offensive line depth also have his weight, and tackle depth especially gets expensive fast. But there’s a difference between important and worth starter money. If Forsythe is priced like a plug-and-play starter, that’s exactly when you step back.

Letting these seven walk doesn’t mean the Raiders are punting a season. When you have a big free-agent class, the correct play is rarely to keep most of it intact.

In the background, the Maxx Crosby trade chatter is also staying alive, with Ian Rapoport describing the situation as “complicated” and hinting there’s enough smoke to keep watching as the calendar moves toward the early-March stretch, especially with Crosby’s knee situation and recovery timeline hanging over any potential deal.

The Raiders need some changes for a better year.

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The Raiders have requested to interview Traylor, who is currently the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant offensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Raiders have requested to speak with Vikings assistant offensive coordinator Jordan Traylor to be their QB coach, a job with the potential to work with expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Traylor, 33, has worked with Kevin O’Connell, Sean Payton and Klint Kubiak, the…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2026

The Vikings added Traylor to their staff last offseason to replace Grant Udinski, and the 2025 offense struggled. It’s unclear how much of that falls on Traylor, but he remains well-regarded.

Traylor is 33 years old and has spent the past five seasons coaching in the NFL. He is the son of UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor and handled much of the behind-the-scenes work on game planning and mechanics.

The only other changes in the QB room were Carson Wentz replacing Sam Darnold, so context matters. Kubiak and Andrew Janocko, who have worked with Traylor before, are likely to be a positive influence if he joins the Raiders.

New Las Vegas head coach Kubiak has worked with Jordan Traylor before. In 2024, Kubiak was the New Orleans Saints’ offensive coordinator, and Traylor was an offensive assistant there.

The Raiders have also hired Andrew Janocko as offensive coordinator as Kubiak begins assembling a staff to run a new offense in Las Vegas, likely centered on Fernando Mendoza.

It’s not surprising that Kubiak is bringing in coaches he’s familiar with, but it could create a difficult situation for Minnesota’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell.

Filling his role, which focuses on working with quarterbacks, could be challenging at this point in the offseason. The team may look to college coaches, as many have successfully made the jump to the NFL.

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The Raiders are expected to hire Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach, per source.

Azzanni will enter his 10th season in the NFL and was most recently with the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/3Giok1dD2w

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 18, 2026

Azzanni was Pittsburgh’s wide receivers coach under Mike Tomlin in 2024 and 2025.

He has spent nine seasons in the NFL and will enter his tenth in 2026. He previously coached with the Chicago Bears (2017), Denver Broncos (2018-2022), New York Jets (2023), and the Steelers (2024-2025). Before the NFL, he coached from 1999 to 2016 in college, including at Florida, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. He has mostly worked with wide receivers, with occasional roles as passing game or offensive coordinator in college.

Kubiak and Azzanni first worked together in 2022 with the Broncos. Kubiak was the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while Azzanni handled the wide receivers under Nathaniel Hackett. That season, the Broncos ranked 19th in passing yards, with Jerry Jeudy leading the team with 67 catches, 972 yards, and six touchdowns.

The 49-year-old joins a new coaching staff in Las Vegas led by former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, fresh off a Super Bowl win. The Raiders hold the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and are expected to select Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza from Indiana. Azzanni will get to work to develop Las Vegas’ currently thin group of receivers to support the new quarterback.

With Azzanni on board, the Raiders have most of their staff set. Rob Leonard returns as defensive coordinator, Andrew Janocko joins as offensive coordinator, and Joe DeCamillis will lead special teams.

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport broke down the trade situation surrounding Crosby during a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show.

Eisen asked if there’s any reason to bother Crosby with questions about the trade situation. Rapoport made it clear that there is smoke around a potential Crosby trade.

“Yeah, there is reason to bother, this is definitely not nothing. I just don’t know what it is yet,” Rapoport said on Tuesday. “The reason why is like… there will be plenty of times where you see smoke around a player. Then you get to like March 10th, 11th, 12th and then okay now we learn why this player gets traded. I don’t know if that’s going to be the case with Maxx Crosby.”

Rapoport called the situation “complicated” in part because of Crosby’s lingering knee injury.

“This is as complicated a situation as I can remember,” Rapoport added. “I’ll go through the reasons why. One…[the way the season ended] had an effect on him. He wanted to play, it turns out he had a significant knee injury, but he wanted to play and was upset that he did not get to finish on the field with his teammates… Then he has surgery, and it’s not a trim, it’s a repair. It’s… not as major of a repair as it could have been.”

Crosby had surgery in January and is expected to need a few months before he fully recovers. As a result, he may not be medically cleared to be traded at the start of the new league year.

“I don’t think he’d be cleared to be traded in March anyways, unless someone wanted to take a leap of faith,” Rapoport concluded. “So you’re probably looking at more the draft or around August for a possible trade.”

Perhaps the Raiders will attempt to persuade Crosby that he should stay in Las Vegas.

Rapoport did note that one source said “the plot thickens” after Kubiak hired Rob Leonard as defensive coordinator.

Ultimately, Raiders fans must remain patient and take all of the Crosby trade rumors with a grain of salt.

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Barring an unforeseen circumstance, that pick is widely expected to be quarterback Francisco Mendoza. But for all his talent, Mendoza still needs some strong pass catchers to work with. Which is why long-time Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs has been deemed a perfect free agent fit for the Raiders, via Matt Bowen of ESPN.

“The Raiders can add to their wide receivers room for new coach Klint Kubiak by signing Doubs,” Bowen said. “His ability to uncover and work the heavy traffic areas of the field would be great for anticipated top-pick quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Doubs is a reliable pass catcher.”

Tight end Brock Bowers led the Raiders with 64 catches and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Tre Tucker was the team leader in yardage with 696. Alongside running back Ashton Jeanty, all three should play a big role in Las Vegas’ passing attack moving forward. However, if the Raiders are trying to win games, Mendoza needs a bit more firepower to target.

Doubs has spent his entire four-year NFL career with the Packers, appearing in 59 games. He has caught 202 passes for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns. Doubs is coming off of a 2025 campaign that saw him make 55 grabs for 724 yards and six touchdowns.

Even with the long-time Packers standout, the Raiders need to make plenty of adjustments to get their offense back on track. They could do a whole lot worse than a passing foundation around Mendoza and Doubs though.

The post NFL rumors: The Packers free agent who would help Fernando Mendoza on Raiders appeared first on ClutchPoints.

One popular theory is that Las Vegas will pick Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza in the draft, making him their next franchise quarterback.

Kubiak admitted that he does not have a lot of exposure to Mendoza during a recent interview.

“My exposure is very limited,” Kubiak said. “I saw him play the national championship game, I saw the interviews he’s given after those games and how team-oriented he is. I look forward to getting to know the player better, but obviously a really talented guy with a bright future. We’ll see. We’ll see where it ends up. But we’ve got a lot of work to do to get to know him before that time comes.”

Kubiak was the offensive coordinator in Seattle during the 2025 season. His focus was solely on the Seahawks and their opponents from week to week. That did not leave him with much time to study the upcoming draft class.

Las Vegas has a huge need at the quarterback position. They seem destined to part ways with veteran Geno Smith and only have Aidan O’Connell as a backup behind him.

Meanwhile, Mendoza played well throughout the 2025 season. He logged 3,535 passing yards with 41 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Mendoza also added 90 carries for 276 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

There do not appear to be many good quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class. That immediately shoots Mendoza to the top of the draft board for many QB-needy teams.

Kubiak now has plenty of time to get familiar with Mendoza before the 2026 NFL Draft.

The next step will be the NFL Scouting Combine, which kicks off on February 23rd in Indianapolis.

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Setbacks and inconsistency

The Raiders’ 2025 campaign was marked by injuries, offensive inconsistency, and defensive regression. It culminated in a league-worst finish that secured the No. 1 overall pick. Early optimism surrounding the Geno Smith-led offense quickly faded. The ground game struggled to generate explosive plays. Defensively, the Raiders showed flashes behind elite individual efforts but lacked week-to-week cohesion. By midseason, the campaign had shifted from playoff aspirations to evaluation mode. This prompted organizational changes that eventually ushered in the new Klint Kubiak era. At least their last-place finish positioned the franchise for a potential quarterback-driven reset.

Quarterback and trenches

Looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders’ roster blueprint begins with securing a franchise quarterback. Smith stabilized the room temporarily. Still, long-term sustainability requires a foundational signal-caller capable of elevating the offense. Beyond quarterback, the offensive line remains a pressing concern. Defensively, the secondary demands reinforcements to combat the AFC West’s elite quarterback gauntlet. The pass rush also requires complementary depth to sustain pressure across four quarters. In short, Las Vegas enters draft season needing impact talent at premium positions, with quarterback, cornerback, and edge rusher chief among them.

Here are some of the potential picks that numerous analysts have named in recent mock drafts.

QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints; Brent Sobleski, BleacherReport; Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com; Garrett Podell, CBS Sports

There is rare national alignment atop mock draft boards as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has become the overwhelming favorite to land in Las Vegas at No. 1 overall. The National Champion and Heisman Trophy winner is widely viewed as the “no-brainer” selection to reset the franchise’s trajectory.

Mendoza’s profile fits seamlessly. His ultra-accurate passing style, combined with elite red-zone decision-making projects immediate offensive stabilization. He may not possess generational rushing upside. However, his toughness, poise, and command presence resonate strongly with evaluators.

Draft analysts have gone as far as to say the pick feels “penciled in with permanent marker.” For a locker room seeking emotional tone-setting leadership, Mendoza represents both production and culture recalibration.

As certain as Mendoza seems to be as the Raiders’ top pick, though, there is hardly any consensus for their picks on Day Two.

CB Julian Neal, Arkansas

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

If quarterback becomes the foundational Round 1 pillar, Round 2 projections heavily skew toward secondary upgrades. The most notable could be Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal.

Neal’s draft stock currently resides in the early Day 2 range. At 6-foot-2, he offers the length, physicality, and press-man profile necessary to survive against the AFC West’s elite receiver landscape.

Mock draft analysis suggests Las Vegas cannot afford to ignore the cornerback room any longer. Neal’s ability to disrupt catch windows and contest vertical routes would immediately elevate the Raiders’ secondary.

EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints

Miami edge defender Akheem Mesidor represents one of the class’s most polarizing Day 2 projections. On one end of the evaluation spectrum, he profiles as a game-wrecking disruptor.

Mesidor posted sack production that rivaled some of the draft’s top projected edge selections. He showcased violent hands and interior-to-edge versatility. However, evaluators also note he will enter the league at 25 years old. That raises questions about developmental runway and long-term upside.

For the Raiders, the calculus may lean toward aggression. Mesidor embodies the type of boom-or-bust swing franchises often take when attempting to accelerate defensive front reconstruction.

CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State

Enzo Flojo, ClutchPoints

Further down mock projections, Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II has emerged as a possibility. That’s particularly true if the franchise double-dips in secondary reinforcements.

Abney’s scouting profile highlights elite man-coverage stickiness and positional versatility. Though slightly smaller than Neal, his ability to function both in the slot and along the boundary enhances schematic flexibility.

For Las Vegas, Abney represents a high-value developmental contributor capable of growing into sub-package prominence early in his career.

LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints

Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter rounds out several Raiders mock classes as a tone-setting defensive addition. The son of former Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter mirrors his father’s physical, downhill play style.

He thrives as a run-stopping enforcer where gap discipline and tackling power are paramount. Yes, modern coverage demands limit his three-down projection. That said, there remains significant value in situational linebackers who can control interior rushing lanes.

For Las Vegas, adding Trotter would inject physicality into a front seven seeking cultural edge as much as schematic depth.

Franchise reset

As draft season accelerates, the Raiders’ trajectory feels tethered to the success of this incoming class. Selecting Fernando Mendoza would address the franchise’s most glaring long-term void while providing offensive identity clarity under Klint Kubiak.

Yet the sustainability of that reset will depend on the supporting architecture. The Raiders must protect the quarterback, reinforc the secondary, and deepen the pass rush.

Las Vegas holds the most powerful card in the draft deck. Whether they simply meet expectations or exceed them will determine if this offseason becomes remembered as the birth of a contender or merely the beginning of another rebuild cycle.

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Dennison joins the Silver and Black after serving as the run game coordinator and senior offensive advisor for the Seattle Seahawks. His arrival marks a significant reunion, as he worked closely with Kubiak during Seattle’s historic 14-3 run and subsequent Super Bowl LX victory.

With over 30 years of NFL coaching experience, including stints as an offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills, Dennison brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to a Raiders team desperate for offensive stability.

The connection between the two teams was on full display early last year during their preseason opener on August 7, 2025. In a game that ended in a rare 23-23 tie, the offensive philosophies of both squads were tested. During that contest, current Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, who was then the Seahawks’ starter, played the opening series for Las Vegas before making way for Aidan O’Connell.

O’Connell finished that night with 205 passing yards and one touchdown, though he did throw two interceptions. On the ground, the Raiders struggled to find a rhythm, with rookie Ashton Jeanty managing only -1 yard on three carries.

Dennison’s primary task will be to fix those rushing woes. The Raiders finished the 2025 regular season with a disappointing 3-14 record, ranking near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories. By bringing in a veteran like Dennison to coordinate the run game, Kubiak is clearly prioritizing the “product” in the trenches.

As the Raiders transition into the Kubiak era, the staff is quickly taking shape with a championship pedigree. If Dennison can replicate the success he found in the Pacific Northwest, the Vegas faithful might finally have something to cheer about in 2026.

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Crosby has been at the center of trade rumors following another atrocious campaign by the Raiders, which saw them win only three games and miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

At this point, the star defensive end’s future in Las Vegas is teetering. But according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Kubiak is making strategic moves to entice the five-time Pro Bowler to stay.

“Klint Kubiak comes in, and one of the first things he does is he goes and gets a cup of coffee the other morning with Maxx Crosby. My understanding is that the breakfast went really well, that there was a good rapport between Klint Kubiak and Maxx Crosby. But that nothing really materially changed,” said Breer on his show.

“Now, since then, Kubiak has decided to name Rob Leonard, who was the defensive line coach and the run team coordinator last year, Maxx Crosby’s position coach, the new defensive coordinator of the Raiders. So could that move the needle? We’ll see.”

In March, the Raiders signed the 28-year-old Crosby to a three‑year extension worth $106.5, making him the highest‑paid non‑quarterback in league history, further underscoring his importance to the team.

Yet a season later, the relationship between the team and its cornerstone defender appears to have frayed. For a guy as competitive as Crosby, being on a losing team must be extremely frustrating. He, however, has also discussed the importance of loyalty, stating that he wants to build something with the Raiders.

While Crosby has largely dismissed the trade rumors, Kubiak, who replaced Pete Carroll, should not be complacent and ensure that the two-time All-Pro will stay in Sin City.

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ESPN senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell did a big piece on hypothetical trade scenarios that would benefit both teams with their fit. The biggest one he proposed was the Las Vegas Raiders trading Maxx Crosby and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears for DJ Moore and a 2026 first-round pick. It would be a huge trade with massive ramifications across the NFL if it were made.

Barnwell said Vegas will want a haul for Crosby, and Adam Schefter also said the Raiders want a Micah Parsons-esque haul to consider a trade. The issue, as Barnwell points out, “Crosby is two years older, is coming off back-to-back seasons impacted by injury, and has never been a first-team All-Pro or finished higher than fourth in DPOY balloting.”

However, that’s where the Bears come in. The Bears have the 25th pick, and GM Ryan Poles hasn’t been shy about using draft picks to add talent. The Bears would love to add a pass-rusher, and with Moore, they could afford to trade him, given the depth in the receiving corps, highlighted by Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, but also Colston Loveland at tight end.

The Raiders need more receiving talent. They need to add help for Fernando Mendoza after he gets picked with the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They have Tre Tucker and both Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer at tight end, but Moore would be instant help at an area of need.

The Bears, meanwhile, would be getting out of a bad contract extension, and while it would hurt to give up a first-round pick, it would instantly improve a defense that needs help rushing the passer.

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NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero revealed who’s joining Kubiak’s first Raiders staff.

“The Raiders are expected to hire Andrew Janocko as their offensive coordinator, sources tell The Insiders,” Pelissero posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter. “Janocko is close with new coach Klint Kubiak, who brought him to Seattle last year as QBs coach. One week after winning the Super Bowl, they’re together again in Las Vegas.”

This means the Silver and Black will add one more assistant with a title ring from Feb. 8.

Raiders becoming ‘Seahawks South’ now?

The franchise hired the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl winning head coach last year in Pete Carroll. This time the ownership and management tabbed a recent ‘Hawks SB winner. Plus one of the league’s most coveted assistants in Kubiak.

Janocko comes over after working wonders with Sam Darnold. The past journeyman QB improved his completion percentage to 67.7% with Janocko on his side. Of course, Darnold captured the league’s attention in guiding Seattle to its second-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The 37-year-old Janocko has never coordinated an offense before. He’s spent 2021 to 2025 as the QB coach for the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and Seahawks in that order. Janocko first emerged as a contender to join the Raiders earlier on Sunday.

While he adds Seahawks representation to Kubiak’s staff, the new HC also added a seasoned veteran assistant in special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. He’s a 31-year coaching veteran who previously led South Carolina the past two seasons.

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Andrew Janocko is in the middle of it all, as he’s a candidate for the offensive coordinator job for the Raiders and also the Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Seahawks QB coach Andrew Janocko is interviewing today in Las Vegas for the Raiders offensive coordinator job, and also is a candidate for that same job title in Seattle as the successor to Klint Kubiak, per sources,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Janocko has a big decision to make here, and it will be interesting to see what job he would want the most. At the same time, neither team is going to hand him the job; he’ll have to be a real candidate and show them that he can lead an offense. The good thing for Janocko is that he has people on both teams who can vouch for him, and there’s a reason he got the interviews.

The Raiders have doing their due diligence on candidates for their offensive coordinator job. They were interested in New England Patriots quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant, but he decided that he wanted to stay where he was and continue to work with Drake Maye.

Kubiak is an offensive mastermind, and he was a big reason for the Seahawks’ success this season. There’s no surprise that teams were interested in hiring them as their head coach, and the Raiders were willing to wait until the end of the playoffs to hire him.

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The Raiders are expected to hire Joe DeCamillis as their new special teams coordinator, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports.

DeCamillis joined South Carolina as associate head coach and special teams coordinator back in 2024. He is expected to leave that position to join the Raiders.

DeCamillis was the special assistant to the head coach at the University of Texas in 2023. Before that, DeCamillis spent 31 years in the NFL as a special teams coach.

He started with the Broncos as an assistant special teams coach. DeCamillis first became a special teams coordinator in 2009 with the Cowboys. He has also served as special teams coordinator for the Bears, Broncos, Jaguars, and Rams.

DeCamillis was most recently the special teams coordinator with the Rams back in 2022.

The Raiders made a smart move by bringing in an experienced coach like DeCamillis to run special teams.

Kubiak is a first-time head coach and will need all the help he can get during his rookie campaign. DeCamillis has plenty of experience, which should allow Kubiak to not have to worry about special teams on a day-to-day basis.

Las Vegas still has plenty of work to do filling out Kubiak’s coaching staff.

The Raiders have already brought in Mike McCoy as assistant head coach under Kubiak. That move seems to have a similar logic to the DeCamillis hire. McCoy was most recently the interim head coach with the Titans in 2025. His wealth experience in the NFL will be an asset to Kubiak in 2026.

Las Vegas is also expected to hire former defensive line coach Rob Leonard as their next defensive coordinator.

Kubiak will be calling plays on offense, but the Raiders still need to find an offensive coordinator. They also need to add several position coaches too.

It will be interesting to see what the Raiders coaching staff ends up looking like after the dust has settled.

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And according to a report from Heavy, the new Las Vegas Raiders head coach isn’t going to blow people away with his charisma as Pete Carroll and Antonio Pierce did. He has a more reserved and calm personality.

That led to some concern in the interview process that he might not have the right voice to command a locker room.

However, it has become clear that the players who have worked with him think very highly of his ability. During Kubiak’s one season with the San Francisco 49ers, he had a chance to coach star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Though they didn’t spend much time together, McCaffrey is a massive fan of the coach.

He believes the team is getting a great guy who is one of the best dudes he has worked with, as well as a great mind and leader.

To help bridge the gap in experience, Tom Pelissero reported that the Raiders have hired Mike McCoy as assistant head coach.

McCoy brings decades of NFL knowledge and previous head coaching experience to help Kubiak navigate the responsibilities of his new position, and this veteran support is critical as the team holds the first overall pick in the 2026 draft, where Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to join the fold.

Kubiak is tasked with fixing a Raiders offense that ranked last in the league in 2025, and with the second most cap space in the NFL, the organization has provided him with the tools necessary to rebuild the franchise identity starting this spring.

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The Raiders hold the No. 1 overall pick, and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been treated as the heavy favorite to go first, including betting markets that have made the selection feel close to inevitable unless Las Vegas trades the pick. They also have money to play with. Over the Cap lists Las Vegas with roughly $91.5 million in 2026 cap space.

That combination, a potential franchise quarterback at No. 1 and rare financial flexibility, shapes the kind of trade conversations the Raiders can realistically drive.

Three names keep surfacing as the type of swing that would jolt the league’s offseason market.

Is A.J Brown the right name for Las Vegas?

A.J. Brown is the headline move because he could immediately change the offense. Bleacher Report identified Brown as a top Raiders trade target, and the broader league chatter around Brown has picked up steam through February. Insider Jeremy Fowler has been cited in recent reporting as believing trade talks around Brown could heat up around the scouting combine, with league executives expecting conversations to pick up there.

If Brown is genuinely available, Las Vegas becomes one of the most logical bidders for a simple reason: a rookie quarterback becomes far easier to develop when he has a true WR1 who wins against man coverage. The Raiders have the cap room to absorb a star contract and still build out the supporting cast, which is why a player like Brown becomes more realistic for them than for teams already squeezed under the cap.

Brown’s availability would also shift the entire wide receiver market.

Trent McDuffie with a possible move to Las Vegas

Trent McDuffie is the other type of blockbuster because it’s rare, premium, and tied to division-level consequences. They listed McDuffie as a Raiders trade target, and the Chiefs’ cap situation has been discussed publicly as a pressure point that could force hard decisions.

Arrowhead Pride laid out a specific financial argument for why a McDuffie trade could appeal to Kansas City, noting the cap savings in that scenario. ESPN’s offseason guide also noted that McDuffie is extension-eligible ahead of his fifth-year option season, which matters because timing and contract planning often drive these decisions.

For Las Vegas, a corner with McDuffie’s profile is a tone-setter. The AFC is loaded with quarterbacks, and the Raiders play in a division where the margin for error in the secondary is thin. A player who can cover, tackle, and hold up against top receivers changes what a defensive coordinator can call on third down. It also changes how opponents build their weekly game plan.

The fact that this would involve Kansas City is what makes it combustible. In-division trades are uncommon for a reason, and if the Raiders ever landed a premium corner from them, it would become one of the defining personnel moves of the entire offseason.

Kayvon Thibodeaux could change things up for the Raiders

Kayvon Thibodeaux sits in a different lane: a young edge rusher who fits the Raiders’ roster logic and has been tied to trade-rumor cycles. Some outlets included Thibodeaux as a Raiders target, and Giants-focused coverage has also mentioned Las Vegas as a potential interested team in the Thibodeaux trade chatter.

Vegas site coverage has framed the idea as a “buy low” opportunity, given the Raiders’ need for pass-rush help beyond Maxx Crosby.

Thibodeaux is the kind of bet a team makes when it wants to get younger and more explosive on defense without waiting for a rookie to develop. A pass rush built around Crosby, plus another legitimate edge threat, changes the shape of the defense.

The “outgoing” name that sits behind almost every Vegas conversation is still Maxx Crosby, and it needs to be mentioned because it impacts everything else the Raiders might do.

NFL.com has covered the trade buzz around Crosby, and he himself has publicly addressed rumors without feeding them. Silver and Black Pride reported that new head coach Klint Kubiak has been explicit about wanting to coach Crosby and keep him in the building.

This is gold because Crosby’s status shapes the Raiders’ incentives. If he stays, adding a young edge like Thibodeaux becomes a luxury.

The other major lever is the No. 1 pick itself. Mendoza has been treated as the favorite to go first. Las Vegas has the option to draft him and build fast, or to entertain the kind of trade-down package that can reshape the roster in one weekend. Either path changes how aggressively the Raiders need to pursue trades for veterans, and how willing they are to pay premium prices for immediate help.

That’s why these trade ideas have real offseason gravity. The Raiders are one of the few teams positioned to set the market rather than react to it. They have cap room, a top pick, and a roster that can justify being aggressive at the premium spots that decide games.

If they land one of these names, the league’s offseason board shifts. But what if they land all three of them? They definitely have the wallet for that.

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After conducting a flurry of interviews, the Raiders are expected to officially hire Leonard soon, NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed on Saturday. Leonard has been with the team since 2022, when he initially signed on as its defensive line coach.

Rapoport also noted that Leonard is close with Maxx Crosby, whom the team will make a big push to retain in the 2026 offseason. Many expected Crosby to request a trade after the disconcerting way he ended the 2025 season with the Raiders.

Las Vegas is expected to hire Leonard after also considering Jeff Howard of the Seattle Seahawks and DeMarcus Covington of the Green Bay Packers. Covington is also a renowned defensive line coach, suggesting the direction Kubiak wants to take the Raiders’ defense in his first year as head coach.

Leonard has also worked for the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. After one season as a high school assistant, Leonard’s coaching career truly began in 2010 with his alma mater, NC State.

Once Leonard officially puts pen to paper, Kubiak will still need to hire his offensive and special teams coordinators. Kubiak, a longtime offensive coordinator, could take his time with those hires.

Raiders prioritizing continuity with defensive coaching hires

Leonard became the first Raiders coach to be retained by Kubiak in 2026. Las Vegas cleaned house at the end of the regular season by firing head coach Pete Carroll, allowing former defensive coordinator Patrick Graham to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, Kubiak followed up that move by retaining another Raiders assistant. Las Vegas will retain Joe Woods as its defensive pass-game coordinator, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported.

The 55-year-old Woods joined the Raiders in 2025 as their defensive pass-game coordinator and defensive backs coach. Fowler’s report did not mention whether he would retain his title as the secondary coach.

While the Raiders clearly disliked everything about their offense last season, Kubiak appears to like most of the team’s defensive leadership. Las Vegas’ offense finished dead last in 2025, while its defense ranked 25th in points allowed and 14th in scrimmage yards allowed.

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Reports indicate that the Raiders are going to interview Seahawks’ safeties coach Jeff Howard for the DC role, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Howard is 43 years old and has worked alongside Kubiak in Seattle and with the Minnesota Vikings.

“The Raiders will interview Seahawks safeties coach Jeff Howard on Saturday for their defensive coordinator job, per sources. Howard worked with new Raiders coach Klint Kubiak in Minnesota and Seattle, where he has been a valued assistant with the Super Bowl champs.”

Howard is not the first Seahawks assistant that Kubiak has targeted for a potentially important role for his Raiders staff. The 38-year-old head coach also interviewed Seattle’s wide receviers coach Frisman Jackson for the offensive coordinator job in Las Vegas. No official hires have been made yet, as Kubiak is likely to interview several individuals for different roels on his coaching staff.

The Raiders entered a new era upon hiring Kubiak. The 2025-26 campaign was largely unsuccesful, as the team finished with a 3-14 record. Optimism is growing within the franchise, as the club’s new head coach will have about $90 million in projected cap space available for free agency, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

We’ll see how the remainder of the offseason plays out in due time. For now, the Raiders will focus on finalizing its coaching staff before addressing the roster.

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Fowler reported Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Las Vegas requested to speak with Outten but Seattle declined the interview.

“The Raiders requested Seahawks assistant Justin Outten for run-game coordinator but Seattle blocked the request, per sources.

Outten, the Seahawks’ run-game specialist/assistant OL, is one of four in-house candidates for the Seattle OC job.”

Seattle’s decision comes days after its 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX in San Francisco, as the organization navigates offseason staffing decisions. Outten serves as the team’s run-game specialist and assistant offensive line coach and is considered an internal candidate for the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator vacancy.

The Raiders requested Seahawks assistant Justin Outten for run-game coordinator but Seattle blocked the request, per sources.

Outten, the Seahawks’ run-game specialist/assistant OL, is one of four in-house candidates for the Seattle OC job. pic.twitter.com/HWdwSvxzdv

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 13, 2026

The move underscores Seattle’s desire for continuity following a championship season. With coordinator interviews underway around the league, retaining key assistants remains a priority for organizations looking to sustain success.

Las Vegas enters the offseason seeking offensive stability after a difficult 2025 campaign. The Raiders ranked last in the NFL in rushing, averaging 77.5 yards per game, and also finished with the league’s fewest points per contest at 14.2. The team ended the season 3-14.

Outten’s background working with Seattle’s offensive line and run-game concepts likely made him an appealing target for the Raiders as they attempt to rebuild their offensive identity. Instead, he remains in Seattle as the Seahawks evaluate their own coaching structure following a title run.

With championship momentum on their side, Seattle appears focused on maintaining its coaching core while other teams explore options to reshape struggling units.

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Quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant was a part of that process, and people around the league have seen the work that he has done. That led him to be considered for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive coordinator position, and he recently made a decision, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Patriots QB coach Ashton Grant has decided to remain in New England rather than discuss the vacant offensive coordinator job with the Las Vegas Raiders. Grant now officially will be staying in New England to continue helping with the development of Drake Maye,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

With Klint Kubiak looking to build his coaching staff after taking the Raiders’ head coaching job, he must have seen something in Grant that made him want to hire him. Nonetheless, it looks like Grant wants to finish what he started with Maye in hopes of getting back to the big dance.

Maye has shown that he has the skills to take a team to the top in just his second year in the league, and the hope is that he can continue that upward trend as his career continues.

There’s no doubt that Grant will be considered for an offensive coordinator position again at some point in his career, and he’ll probably take it that time around. As of now, he’s looking to build with a special talent after coming off a nice run to the Super Bowl.

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During the latest episode of “The Insiders,” Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Rapoport claimed that teams won’t be willing to trade for the 28-year-old defensive end unless he is healthy and can pass a physical. Crosby is expected to be healthy right around the time the 2026 NFL Draft begins in late April. If that’s the case, it opens up the opportunity for the Raiders to potentially trade Maxx Crosby around that time.

“[Crosby] had a meniscus repair, which, although a relatively minor one, it still gets measured in months, not weeks,” said Rapoport. “Really, what that means is it’s hard to imagine a team trading for Maxx Crosby without him being fully healthy and able to pass a physical.

“Which probably moves his timeline closer to the draft, or maybe before the season. That means, if the Las Vegas Raiders want to, one, convince Maxx Crosby to [return], or two, do right by him [and trade him]. They have plenty of time, milk, and get as much draft capital as they possibly can… Trading him makes sense.”

From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Maxx Crosby doesn't want to add to his discourse. That's OK. We'll take it from here. pic.twitter.com/NHConWqIPq

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 13, 2026

Health seems to be the key concern when it comes to Crosby. The five-time Pro Bowler has undergone four surgeries since 2021, with three of them being on his knees. Despite the injury woes, Maxx Crosby has played as one of the league’s best pass rushers. He ended the 2025-26 season with 73 total tackles (45 solo), 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.

Trade rumors about Crosby will likely remain hot throughout the offseason. In the meantime, the Raiders will focus on free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft.

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Crosby is a seven-year veteran. He has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons with sack totals of 12.5, 14.5, 7.5, and 10. He is clearly one of the NFL’s elite defensive players.

And that’s why the dissatisfaction in Las Vegas makes him a trade-rumor poster boy. But he takes it in stride, according to NFL.com.

“My focus has been on getting healthy because that’s all I can control right now,” Crosby said. “That’s all that matters to me: being with my daughters, being with my wife. And taking care of myself. People are gonna have rumors.

“If I wasn’t doing the right things and if I wasn’t the person and player I was, people wouldn’t be talking about all the nonsense. But that’s what comes with it.”

Raiders could deal edge Maxx Crosby to Commanders

It would be a big catch for the Commanders. They are desperate for pass-rushing help. And Crosby would be an upgrade they haven’t seen in the nation’s capital in many years.

The Commanders run a similar defense to the Titans with Dan Quinn as their head coach. They need to boost their pass rush as well, and can sell Crosby on the fact that they can return to NFC playoff contention with him and a healthy Jayden Daniels after a rough 2025.

It seems like a reasonably good fit, according to SportingNews.com.

“The Commanders run a similar defense to the Titans with Dan Quinn as their head coach,” Vinnie Iyer wrote. “They need to boost their pass rush as well and can sell Crosby on the fact that they can return to NFC playoff contention with him and a healthy Jayden Daniels after a rough 2025.

“Washington holds the No. 7 overall draft pick and has more than $75 million in cap space for 2026. The Commanders need an injection of energy. And Crosby is still in his youthful, dominant prime at 28.”

Raiders could trade Maxx Crosby to Lions

Oh, man. How would Crosby fit with this bunch? Not only would he form an incredible duo with Aidan Hutchinson. He would also get to work under Dan Campbell.

It sure sounds nice on paper, according to lastwordonsports.com.

“This is the cleanest fit on the board,” Chris Pownall wrote. “Pairing Crosby with Aidan Hutchinson would give Detroit the most physically demanding edge duo in the league. Not flashy. Just constant pressure that wears offenses down as games progress. The Lions are already built to win now, and Crosby fits exactly what they value. Effort. Accountability. Durability. He would not just elevate the defense. He would stabilize it.”

If the Lions pulled off this deal, they could put their defense closer to the same level as their outstanding offense. And that brings in the sweet smell of a Super Bowl contender.

What about trading Maxx Crosby to 49ers?

This makes a ton of sense for the 49ers. On a team beset by injuries on an annual basis, they would get a guy who has been on the field consistently for each of his seven seasons.

It’s not far-fetched to see him moving to San Francisco, according to ESPN. And Crosby would probably like it.

“Crosby wants to be a part of a winner,” Jeremy Fowler wrote. “That’s the priority. Whether and how that’s conveyed is still unclear. He has been fiercely loyal to Las Vegas. That loyalty will be tested more than ever in the coming weeks. The reality is the Raiders are still far away from significant winning, and the trade interest in Crosby is incredibly robust.

“In fact, I believe more than a dozen teams, possibly up to 20, will at least inquire with levels of serious intent. And there are some natural would-be contenders, including the Bills, Lions, 49ers, Cowboys, and Ravens.”

If the 49ers returned to reasonable health on defense in 2026, the addition of Crosby would make that unit probably top five in the NFL. And the NFC West would be the same dogfight this coming season that it was in 2025.

Of the three teams mentioned here, the Lions might be Crosby’s best path to 2026 success. However, the Commanders and 49ers also present intriguing options.

The post 3 best Maxx Crosby trade destinations with Raiders breakup looming appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Las Vegas has hired Mike McCoy as their assistant head coach, via Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. He finished out the 2025 campaign as interim head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

McCoy also served as head coach of the then San Diego Chargers from 2013-2016. He has been a coach in the NFL since 2000, holding offensive coordinator positions with the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. Overall, McCoy is expected to bring his health of knowledge to Las Vegas, making Kubiak’s transition into head coach much easier.

The former Seahawks offensive coordinator has received plenty of buzz prior to his hiring. Hard not to by helping quarterback Sam Darnold and company win the Super Bowl. But Kubiak was in that role for just one season. He has held offensive coordinator jobs with the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings in the past, but they were just one-year stints.

Las Vegas is counting on Kubiak to help change their identity. Especially on offense where the Raiders ranked dead last in 2025, averaging 245.2 yards per game. But Kubiak is taking on a whole different beast by becoming head coach. There will be more roles and responsibilities he previously hadn’t had to worry about.

McCoy’s arrival will help Kubiak at every step. The veteran coach knows what to expect from the NFL. Kubiak now has a trusted voice he can turn to if things ever get rocky.

The post Raiders add ex-Titans coach to Klint Kubiak’s coaching staff appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Tyreek Hill remains one of the most electric players to ever play the game, but his time in Miami has left much to be desired in terms of tangible results. He suffered a season-ending injury (knee) in Week 4 following a 2024-25 season that saw his lowest receiving totals in four years. This all while Hill is due to earn $26.6 million in 2026 and the Dolphins have some tough decisions to make in terms of their star wideout.

Reports are coming in that Hill’s status for the 2026 season may be murky following his significant injury, marking a potential end for his time in Miami. Releasing or trading away Hill could certainly earn the Dolphins some draft capital while freeing up whatever cap they can, so we’ll take a look at three potential destinations for the first-teamer and NFL champion.

 Potential Tyreek Hill trade destinations

Reunion in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid

Four of Hill’s six 1,000-yard receiving seasons came with QB Patrick Mahomes under center, resulting in a Super Bowl win in 2020. This seems like the most obvious choice any time there’s trade speculation surrounding Tyreek Hill given the previous success under Andy Reid’s offense and his stellar rapport with Mahomes.

While the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t likely to put together a massive trade haul for the 31-year old receiver, Kansas City would almost certainly entertain adding Hill to their roster if they see themselves in position to make a run during the playoffs. With Patrick Mahomes also returning from injury, it doesn’t seem as though the Chiefs would rush back into a reunion, but the door may be open wider than ever given Hill’s shaky future in Miami.

Joining young talent in Las Vegas

This seems like the most far-fetched of all the potential trade destinations given the Raiders’ laundry list of issues to address before signing a blockbuster WR like Hill. Among a number of coaching changes still pending, the Raiders will be focused on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They’re most likely to take Heisman winner and NCAA Champion QB Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana, making an interesting battle at the quarterback position between him and Geno Smith.

If Hill plans to follow in the footsteps of players like Marshawn Lynch and Antonio Brown in joining the silver and black, he would certainly have an exciting offense at his disposal with Mendoza (presumably) under center, Ashton Jeanty running the ball, and tight end Brock Bowers hopefully returning for a full season. The offense would immediately become must-watch TV, but it’s still a pipe dream when considering the contracts and potential off-field issues that we’ve seen with Hill in the past.

Leading the Green Bay WR room, joining a contender

If Tyreek Hill plans to play for championships and immediately join a contending team, he may not have to look further than the Green Bay Packers. The Packers and Dolphins are already linked with their recent coaching moves and the franchise is eyeing QB Malik Willis in free agency to replace Tua Tagovailoa. Sending Hill to the Packers in exchange for a multitude of draft picks and defensive players could be another all-in move for GM Brian Gutekunst and Green Bay after signing DE Micah Parsons.

The main issue with the Packers’ offense, besides the season-ending injury to TE Tucker Kraft, has been their lack of a clear No. 1 option in the receiving game. The room is full of young talent like Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden, but the last two seasons have clearly shown an attack by committee rather than one go-to player stepping up in the biggest moments.

Hill would undoubtedly make this Packers’ receiving corps one of the best in the NFL while re-focusing on football and playing with a championship mentality in Green Bay. The Packers, in turn, would have to amass a strong trade to get the deal done, but adding the veteran and former champ could be what the team needs to put them over the top in the NFC.

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Thankfully, Las Vegas already has all the resources they need to build a contender in one offseason.

The Raiders enter the offseason with $91.52 million in cap space. That is second in the NFL behind only the Titans. Las Vegas also boasts 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the first overall pick.

All of this positions the Raiders to be incredibly aggressive this offseason.

It is a foregone conclusion that Las Vegas will select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza in the draft. There’s still plenty of pre-draft evaluation to take place, but for now the Raiders need to operate under the assumption that he’s their guy.

That means the Raiders need to build the proper infrastructure to help Mendoza before they even settle on him as the first overall pick.

So what would that look like?

Below we will explore three sneaky good free agents who the Raiders should considering signing this spring.

Joe Flacco could be a great mentor for Fernando Mendoza

This signing is all about adding a mentor for Mendoza.

Flacco has been one of the best comeback stories in the NFL over the past several seasons. The 41-year-old quarterback got off the couch in 2023 and led the Browns to an unlikely playoff berth.

Flacco has proven that he still has what it takes to play quarterback at an adequate level. Even into his 40s. Plus Flacco shows no signs of wanting to retire.

Las Vegas would be smart to add Flacco as the ultimate mentor for Mendoza. He could serve as the ultimate “clipboard quarterback” whose main role is being an extra member of the coaching staff.

But Flacco comes with the added bonus of still functioning well as a backup quarterback.

We should also spent a moment talking about QB Geno Smith.

Personally, I see the Raiders cutting Smith before the start of free agency. Las Vegas can save $8 million of cap space in 2026 by doing so, as well as shedding the entirety of his 2027 cap hit.

This moves makes a lot more sense if Smith gets cut.

Raiders upgrade the offensive line by adding Braden Smith

The Raiders could stand to add multiple offensive linemen during free agency. But Smith stands out as an ideal target for Las Vegas.

Smith has been an excellent right tackle for the Colts ever since he was drafted in the second round back in 2018. He is a dominant run blocker who also holds up well in pass protection.

There’s no question that Smith would be a big upgrade over DJ Glaze at right tackle. It would also give Las Vegas another great starting tackle opposite of Kolton Miller.

Smith’s ability to thrive in the run game and in pass protection should make him especially valuable for the Raiders.

According to Spotrac, Smith could command $13.5 million per season on a new contract. That would make a three-year contract worth just over $40 million.

If Smith can both increase protection for Mendoza and open up running lanes for Ashton Jeanty, then the Raiders need to bring him in.

I’d also like to see the Raiders invest in another guard.

Daniel Faalele could make sense on a long-term contract, or perhaps someone like Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller on a one-year deal.

Should Riq Woolen follow Klint Kubiak to Las Vegas?

All eyes are on the Raiders offense with Mendoza coming to town. But the defense should not be ignored either.

Las Vegas needs to make improvements all over the defense. They could start in the secondary with a familiar face to Klint Kubiak.

Riq Woolen is one of multiple Seahawks players who is set to hit free agency this spring. I don’t see Woolen as a priority re-signing for Seattle and I expect he will hit the open market.

If that happens, the Raiders need to scoop him up.

Woolen burst onto the scene during his rookie season, logging six interceptions. He has yet to reach those heights again but has still played the part of capable starting cornerback.

Woolen may not be an elite cornerback, but he would be a big upgrade over Eric Stokes, Darien Porter, and the rest.

Spotrac projects Woolen’s market value as $8.2 million per season. He turns 27 years old in May, which makes it tricky to determine how long of a contract he may want.

I think the Raiders should be interested in Woolen even if he wants a one-year contract. But they should also be willing to had him a long-term extension simply to get another talented body in their secondary.

Either way, Las Vegas needs to get Woolen in the building.

The post 3 sneaky good NFL free agents Raiders must sign in 2026 offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

While Shaheed wasn’t a high-volume target for this Seattle team, but he added an element of explosiveness to an offense that desperately needed it during its run to the Super Bowl. That was evident right at the start of the NFC title game against the Rams, when Shaheed’s big catch down the right sideline set the tone for Seattle on its opening field goal drive.

Shaheed was also a revelation on special teams for the Seahawks as a return man, taking a punt to the house in the regular season against the Rams and returning a kickoff for a touchdown against the Falcons. He kept that up in the playoffs, starting Seattle’s Super Bowl run with a 95-yard kick return touchdown to open the Divisional Round against the 49ers.

Now, however, Shaheed is a free agent after the Seahawks essentially acquired him as a rental at the deadline. Seattle will likely try to keep him, especially given the fact that the Seahawks gave up a fourth- and fifth-round pick to get him, but the Seahawks also have a number of other free agents that they will want to keep around, including star running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III.

If Shaheed does end up leaving Seattle, where could he land?

Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are entering a new era with Klint Kubiak as head coach and, presumably, Fernando Mendoza at quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick. Las Vegas was the worst team in football last season, but Kubiak is entering what is essentially a blank slate with Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty on the offense.

Bowers will be the top pass-catcher on this offense next season, but having someone that can stretch the field vertically and create space for Bowers and others underneath will be paramount for Las Vegas. Shaheed could be just the right guy to fit that mold as one of the fastest receivers in football, and the Raiders will have cap space to make it worth his while.

It is also a logical fit for Shaheed to follow Kubiak. The speedster played for Kubiak in New Orleans and in Seattle this last fall, so it’s clear there is a good relationship there. That makes this a logical fit, especially if Shaheed is willing to commit to a rebuilding team with a Super Bowl ring already under his belt.

Chicago Bears

The Bears exceeded all expectations for themselves this season, winning the NFC North crown and making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, nearly knocking off the Rams to reach the conference title game.

However, the Bears won’t be naive to the fact that they have to keep adding to their formula to maintain their spot at the top of one of the toughest divisions in football. Adding another wide receiver, especially with DJ Moore potentially on the way out, would be a great way to do that. Shaheed would be a great complement to Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland in the passing game, and his speed would add an extra element that defenses would need to account for.

It’s easy to imagine Shaheed playing the same role in Chicago’s offense that Jameson Williams did for Ben Johnson in Detroit, which makes this a seamless fit. Chicago should be all over this one when Shaheed hits the open market.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills very nearly made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game this season, but that doesn’t mask the deficiencies that Josh Allen tried his best to cover up on this offense.

The Bills had one of the worst receiving cores in the NFL all season, so much so that they were depending on Brandin Cooks as one of their top targets in the playoffs. Yes, the playoffs in 2026. While Cooks made some big plays for Buffalo, that’s not where you want to be if you’re a team gunning for a Super Bowl.

Khalil Shakir is a keeper, and Buffalo has a nice crop of tight ends, but Shaheed would add an element of speed and explosiveness that this team just hasn’t had in a while. Joe Brady is sticking around as the new head coach after being promoted, so the offensive structure will look pretty similar in Orchard Park.

Josh Allen has one of the best arms in the league, and it would be a whole lot of fun to see him get to use it with a deep threat like Shaheed in the lineup.

The post 3 best Rashid Shaheed free agent destinations after winning Super Bowl LX with Seahawks appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With the Raiders near the bottom of the league once again, trade rumors have swirled surrounding All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

On Wednesday, Crosby was asked his thoughts on all of the rumors on the “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray.

“People are gonna have rumors,” Crosby said bluntly.

“I just looked at my phone… Everyone is hitting me up. ‘Did you say this?’ I can’t control that. You earn that as a player. If I wasn’t doing the right things and if I wasn’t the person and player I was, people wouldn’t be talking about all the nonsense.”

“They just try to throw gasoline on the fire. I know what I am about. I really don’t care what everybody has to say… People can have their own opinions; I know what’s going on. I know my truth.

“My focus has been on getting healthy because that’s all I can control.”

Crosby is by far the best player on the team. But as soon as the franchise opted to sit him out for the final couple of games of the regular season, the writing was on the wall. He was not happy.

The Raiders signed Super Bowl-champion Klint Kubiak as their new head coach this week. During his introductory press conference, the new head coach announced his plans to “be part of the success going forward.”

Crosby has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last five seasons. He has racked up 69.5 career sacks, all with the Raiders, while leading the NFL in tackles for loss twice.

The All-Pro edge rusher signed a three-year, $106 million extension in March of 2025. But with the team facing a full rebuild, likely surrounding Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, it remains to be seen whether Las Vegas will be able to keep his services.

The post Raiders DE Maxx Crosby refuses to pour ‘gasoline on fire’ amid constant trade rumors appeared first on ClutchPoints.

A no-star recruit who began his college career at the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to Indiana in 2025, Mendoza led Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers to their best season in the program’s 139 years of existence. Mendoza helped his team to the most wins in program history on the way to a Heisman Trophy win, with his campaign capped off with a CFP National Championship win over Miami in Miami, mere miles away from his high school, Christopher Columbus.

Talking to reporters at Klint Kubiak’s introductory press conference, owner Mark Davis wasn’t able to get too deep into Mendoza because, again, he isn’t a member of the team until Roger Goodell reads his name off the card. Still, that didn’t stop Davis from congratulating Mendoza on his Natty win, before noting that No. 15 sure does look good in Raiders Black and Silver.

“He looked good,” Davis said. “Yeah, well, he won the National Championship. So that’s a good.”

Elsewhere in his press conference, Davis also commented on why he hired Kubiak, noting that he wants to organically build his team up the right way with an offensive-minded head coach leading a young collection of players. Ashton Jeanty fits that bill certainly, but so does Mendoza, who is widely considered the best offensive player in this year’s class.

Could something come up that changes the Raiders’ plans over the next few months? Sure, anything is possible, but based on Davis’ comments and this widely being considered a one QB draft, it’s safe to assume fans will see a lot more No. 15 jerseys this fall when Las Vegas starts playing football once more.

I asked Mark Davis what he thought about Fernando Mendoza

“He looked good…he won the National Championship so that’s a good thing…” @YourboyQ254 followed up asking about the possibility of a No. 15 returning to Allegiant

“It’s possible” pic.twitter.com/PFz7WvrvMO

— Jesse Merrick – Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) February 10, 2026

The post Raiders’ Mark Davis gives Fernando Mendoza props for National Championship win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kubiak was asked about Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty during his introductory press conference. Raiders fans will be excited to hear his answer.

“Very excited about his talent, but what I would tell him and all his teammates is it’s not about one guy,” Kubiak said on Tuesday. “We gotta get the line on the same page, we gotta get our QB to get the right run checks, we gotta get our receivers to block for him, so we can get the play-action going. As soon as our players can realize it’s a team thing, not an individual thing, we will be successful.”

There’s no question that Jeanty is a talented player in his own right.

Las Vegas used the sixth overall pick on Jeanty during the 2025 NFL Draft. Jeanty had an incredible collegiate career at Boise State, capped off by an incredible 2024 campaign. He even came 27 rushing yards shy of breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record.

Naturally, expectations were high for Jeanty entering the NFL. But the Raiders did not make life easy for him in 2025.

Jeanty performed about as well as he could in a bad situation. He logged 266 carries for 975 rushing yards with five touchdowns as a rookie. Jeanty also added 55 receptions for 346 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a receiver.

All of that makes Kubiak’s statement about Jeanty and the Raiders absolutely perfect.

Jeanty is an elite talent at running back, but he will need a support system to help him reach his full potential.

The Raiders enter the 2026 offseason with $91.52 million in cap space, the second-most among NFL teams. They also hold 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the first overall pick. It will almost certainly become Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza.

That gives Las Vegas plenty of resources to build a capable team around Jeanty before the 2026 season.

The post Klint Kubiak’s message to Ashton Jeanty that guarantees success appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kubiak has been proactive in his support for Crosby, meeting with the veteran early in his tenure and emphasizing that the defensive star is a non-negotiable piece of the team’s success moving forward.He remains fired up about Crosby’s work ethic, noting that he was the first player in the building working out after the season ended.

This level of accountability is something Kubiak takes seriously, having refined his leadership style under defensive-minded coaches.

Ari Meirov posted on X how Kubiak shared that his time with Mike Macdonald in Seattle was defined by constant professional challenges.

He also noted that Macdonald would challenge the offensive staff after every single game, a process that ultimately improved the entire coaching unit.

“I hated looking him in the eye because I knew the hard questions were coming. But I appreciated that about him because it brought the best out of us,” the Raiders’ HC explained.

New #Raiders HC Klint Kubiak says Mike Macdonald — as a defensive-minded coach — would challenge the offensive staff after every game, and it made everyone better.

“I hated looking him in the eye because I knew the hard questions were coming. But I appreciated that about him… https://t.co/4hKMxxyzz1 pic.twitter.com/o8GUHyutiC

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 10, 2026

The roster reconstruction will likely center on the first overall pick, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza being the heavy favorite to join Las Vegas.

However, analyst Kirk Herbstreit has raised questions about how Mendoza fits into a team that still needs significant help on the offensive line.

Herbstreit described Mendoza as a cerebral mind guy who excels in preparation and processing rather than being a physical hero quarterback like Justin Herbert.

He noted that the QB is the right guy only if the team provides him with the necessary support system, including solid tight ends and a capable backfield.

With 10 draft selections and the second most cap space in the NFL, the Raiders are well-positioned to build that foundation as they look to transition into a new season of franchise success.

The post Raiders’ Klint Kubiak details how Mike Macdonald pushed him in Seahawks year appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Crosby is currently recovering from a meniscus repair surgery performed on January 7, a process that takes months rather than weeks.

Despite reports from The Athletic suggesting Crosby might be open to a change of scenery, his medical status complicates any immediate move, and the Raiders would also likely demand a massive trade package to part with their defensive star.

Kubiak appears focused on keeping the veteran in Las Vegas. Ryan McFadden reported on X that the coach has already met with the pass-rusher, stating,

“I got to a cup of coffee with Maxx this morning. Love talking with him. And look forward to continuing those conversations. He was the first one in here working out. So that fired me up.”

Adam Schefter also highlighted Kubiak’s definitive stance on X.

The new coach addressed the trade rumors directly, saying, “We want him to be a part of our success going forward, there is no doubt about that.”

His comments suggest that despite the outside noise, the Raiders view Crosby as a non-negotiable part of the roster.

Kubiak confirmed he would take the Raiders job shortly after leading the Seattle Seahawks to a victory in Super Bowl LX.

He arrives with a championship pedigree and a reputation for high-level offensive coaching, having just finished a season where his unit produced over 4,000 passing yards.

Now tasked with rebuilding a team that finished 3-14 under Pete Carroll, Kubiak will look to combine his offensive expertise with the defensive dominance Crosby provides to orchestrate a quick turnaround in Las Vegas.

As the organization prepares for the upcoming draft, the focus remains on aligning the new coaching staff with the team’s established leaders for a better year.

Use code CLUTCHPOINTS to get $5 of free coins when you sign up at Novig, America’s #1 Sports Prediction market.

The post Maxx Crosby encounter with Raiders’ Klint Kubiak spurs optimism amid trade rumors appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit questioned the fit of Mendoza with the Raiders during a recent interview.

“I really think he’s a guy that, the typical, we don’t have a left guard, we don’t have a right tackle, we need a couple receivers, we really need a quarterback. That’s not the guy,” Herbstreit said on Monday on This is Football. “But if you’ve got a couple tight ends, if you’ve got an offensive line you feel good about, if you got a back that’s capable, you got a few receivers, you just you need the quarterback, he’s the guy.”

The Raiders do have Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers as established starters. However, Las Vegas has a suspect offensive line and limited talent outside of Bowers and Jeanty.

“So, it depends on how you evaluate the Raiders or other teams. I just don’t think he’s like a Justin Herbert coming out of Oregon that he’s so skilled,” Herbstreit added. “We’re going to grow around him and eventually he’s good enough to keep us afloat, but eventually we’re going to become elite when we get the right pieces around him. He’s not the guy.”

It is difficult to pass too much judgment on the Raiders this early in the offseason. Kubiak still has to assemble his coaching staff before the team starts working on the roster.

The Raiders have the second-most cap space in the NFL heading into the offseason. They also boast 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. So it is reasonable to be optimistic about Las Vegas building a support system around Mendoza before his rookie season.

Ultimately, Herbstreit admitted that it is difficult to anticipate how a cerebral quarterback like Mendoza will translate to the NFL.

“I’m not looking down at his ability. I just think he would fit in well. He’s a mind guy. He’s going to hurt you with his mind, his preparation, his processing, which I think is a very difficult thing to evaluate when it comes to a college quarterback going to the pros.”

It will be fascinating to see how the Raiders approach the offseason with the possibility of adding Mendoza looming over every decision.

The post Fernando Mendoza’s fit with Raiders put into question by Kirk Herbstreit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Raider fans expect him to work his magic on Ashton Jeanty. Well, Kubiak and his family have already touched down in Sin City as seen here.

Leadership in place. #RaiderNation

https://t.co/xib97jXxEW pic.twitter.com/8mxtM0Wvsi

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) February 10, 2026

That means the celebration is officially over for Kubiak. He’s already soaked up the championship with Mike Macdonald and the rest of the Super Bowl LX winners.

He immediately will hit the ground running and build the Silver and Black back up.

Can Klint Kubiak improve Raiders out the gate?

The franchise brings a long history of turning to an offensive guru to lead the Raiders. Although the Raiders’ last two offseason head coaching hires were former head coaches (Josh McDaniel and Pete Carroll). Both never lasted more than two seasons with the team.

So owner Mark Davis, co-owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek will attempt to strike while the iron’s hot. This time they’re luring in a recent champion.

Kubiak’s offensive history and cerebral side looks bound to ignite Jeanty — especially with the OC’s run-game production. However, the soon-to-be second year RB isn’t the only Raider expected to thrive under him.

The incoming HC runs a lot of 21 personnel that benefits the tight end. This swings the door open for Brock Bowers to thrive in this system.

Now comes who takes over behind center…with Fernando Mendoza the popular choice among Raider fans. This time Kubiak can help persuade that move now that he’s in place.

The post Watch Klint Kubiak arrive in Las Vegas with family after Super Bowl win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

“I’ve battled to break back into the NFL, but if the league’s gatekeepers want to block me out, I’ll shut that door myself, because the ultimate goal was to make it back into the NFL. I don’t beg and This is me calling it on my terms. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have played in the NFL shout out to the Raiders and beyond, the XFL, and the UFL. It is what it is. Thanks for all the love, I appreciate every last one of my fans. This track speaks louder than any league ever could I am officially retiring from this and I’ll leave this here,” he said in his post.

An alumnus of Fort Valley State University, King was named First Team All-SIAC as a punter and was named the FVSU Wildcats’ Most Valuable Player in his senior season. He averaged 43 yards per punt, 21 of which landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and 16 punts sailed 50 yards or more. He had a historic outing against Bethune-Cookman University in the 2011 season, where he punted for 80 yards.

King ultimately declared for the NFL Draft in 2012 but wasn’t selected. He then signed as an undrafted free agent with the then-Oakland Raiders. During his time with the Raiders from 2012 to 2017, he became one of the most recognizable faces in the NFL. He was known for his entertaining antics on the field as a punter, as well as his athleticism at the position.

However, his career took a sharp turn; he was cut in a move he attributed to animosity from then-coach Jon Gruden. He briefly joined the Denver Broncos, only suiting up for the team for four games. Prior to his retirement, he hadn’t competed in the NFL since 2018. King eventually joined the XFL in 2019, playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks and the Arlington Renegades. In 2023, he won a championship with the Arlington Renegades.

King concludes his career punting for 20,822 yards on 446 punts, with his longest punt being 72. The average distance of his punts was 46.7 yards. Beyond football, King has pursued a career as a musician, releasing several songs on streaming services and describing himself as a pop, hip-hop, and EDM artist.

The post Marquette King announces retirement from professional football appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Raiders Maxx Crosby on fighting in the UFC “Hunter and Dana White are fully convinced by the year 2030 im going to be the UFC heavyweight champion”

“If it makes sense, if it’s in my heart. It might just happen, I love fighting. I have the mentality, athleticism, power, speed” pic.twitter.com/wjpzqlfgvJ

— ShifftttyyyQB1 (@raiders1022) February 7, 2026

“Hunter Campbell and Dana, they’re fully convinced that by the year 2030 or 2031, I’m gonna be the heavyweight champion,” Crosby said. “I’m that type of person where I’m never gonna put a limit on what I do. You live one life, and I definitely have certain things I want to accomplish.”

When pressed on whether it could actually happen, Crosby left the door wide open.

“If it makes sense at the time and it’s in my heart and my soul that I want to go out there and compete, it might just happen. I love fighting. I feel like I’ve got the right mentality, the athleticism, the power and speed. It’s just about putting that all together and being fully in.”

This isn’t idle talk from a celebrity fan sitting cageside. Crosby is deeply embedded in the UFC scene, regularly attending events and building genuine relationships with White and his team. More importantly, the man has traded leather with a champion — going three hard rounds sparring Sean Strickland in 2023, walking away with a busted nose and a fire that clearly hasn’t gone out.

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 255 pounds, Crosby fits squarely within the heavyweight limit of 265. His NFL resume is undeniable — a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second Team All-Pro who posted 10 sacks in 15 games this past season.

Dana White says NFL player Max Crosby has the potential to win a UFC HW title.

Here’s a clip of him sparring former champ Sean Strickland pic.twitter.com/YIqjWIssQV

— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) February 8, 2026

The NFL-to-MMA pipeline has produced legitimate fighters before. Brock Lesnar captured the UFC heavyweight title, while undefeated Josh Hokit parlayed NFL time into an 8-0 record with two UFC knockouts. The difference? Lesnar had elite NCAA wrestling credentials. Crosby has no formal combat sports background, making the climb considerably steeper.

With his Raiders contract running through 2029 and trade rumors swirling, the timeline adds up. If Crosby walks away from football and commits fully to MMA, White’s bold prediction may not be as wild as it sounds. In the heavyweight division, elite athleticism and raw power close the skill gap fast. If Maxx Crosby ever steps into the Octagon, the sports world will be watching.
​

The post Dana White believes Maxx Crosby will be UFC heavyweight champion by 2030 appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Reports had surfaced about Kubiak becoming the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders fired Pete Carroll after one season, following a brutal campaign in which they ended up with the first overall pick. Now, Kubiak has confirmed that the reports surrounding him are true.

“While Klint Kubiak is celebrating this special Super Bowl win with the Seahawks, he just confirmed to me on camera that he will be the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders,” NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales posted on social media on Sunday.

The Raiders were hoping Carroll could lead the team toward a postseason berth. However, the former Seahawks coach could not rekindle his connection with veteran quarterback Geno Smith. In the end, Vegas ended the season with a 3-14 record.

Kubiak arrives in Vegas with quite the resume. Of course, he brings Super Bowl experience following Sunday’s win over the Patriots. His work with the Seahawks offense will also be looked upon favorably. Sam Darnold finished with over 4000 yards during the season while not turning the ball over in the postseason.

Kubiak now looks to produce a turnaround of his own with the Raiders. They have the first overall pick and a lot of cap space to work with. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator runs his own show next season.

The post Seahawks’ Klint Kubiak confirms Raiders rumors after Super Bowl LX win appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Now, more information is coming to light about who Kubiak might hire for his staff once he arrives in Las Vegas.

“Seattle quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is a natural candidate. He has been with Kubiak in Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle. I expect him to have some traction there, or possibly in-house with Seattle,” reported Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

Fowler added that “Offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz has been on the offensive coordinator cycle in recent years and could get an in-house look, too. And running backs coach Justin Outten has also come up in league circles as a potential candidate.”

Whoever Kubiak decides to hire for the role will likely be working with quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the Indiana star who recently helped lead the Hoosiers to the national championship and is expected to be drafted number one overall by the Raiders in two months.

Mendoza is more of a traditional pocket passer than other recent number one overall draft picks at quarterback, but showed in the national championship game that he is more than capable of using his legs to create plays when necessary.

The Raiders also have some intriguing skill positional weapons in running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers to help give whoever the team hires as their offensive coordinator some tools to work with.

In any case, the Kubiak hire is expected to be made official shortly after the Super Bowl on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, the NFL Draft is slated for late April.

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The Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans were pegged as the two teams rumored to be interested in Doubs, but only if the 25-year-old wideout doesn’t re-sign with the Packers, according to Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN. It’s believed Green Bay will at least have contract discussions with Doubs, but could prioritize extending tight end Tucker Kraft instead.

“The Packers can try to re-sign free agent receiver Romeo Doubs and/or extend tight end Tucker Kraft, a 2027 free agent. The door isn’t closed on Doubs in Green Bay. I’m expecting both sides to at least have some dialogue and see if a return makes sense. The Raiders and Titans will have my attention for free agent receivers. Both desperately need a difference-maker on the outside.”

Doubs has made a name for himself in a crowded wide receiver room in Green Bay. He’s coming off another solid season that saw the four-year veteran record 55 receptions for 724 yards (career-high) and six touchdowns. If he were to sign with either the Raiders or Titans, Doubs would likely emerge as the No. 1 option in the passing game, which is not the role he has with the Packers.

Rumors will likely continue to swirl around Romeo Doubs in the coming days. The Green Bay front office will have a chance to negotiate a new contract with the former fourth-round pick. The free agency window opens on March 11.

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport explained on Sunday why a potential Maxx Crosby trade may not happen early in the offseason.

“Sources clarified that Crosby actually underwent a minor meniscus repair — not a trim — on Jan. 7, meaning his recovery will be measured in months, not weeks,” Rapoport wrote on Sunday. “A meniscus trim is often 4-6 weeks of recovery while a repair can be 3-4 months. Crosby’s should be shorter.”

Crosby’s meniscus surgery was not a secret, but the nature of the procedure was apparently more serious than previously reported.

Rapoport explained that Crosby is ahead of schedule and the repair was considered the best-case scenario. However, Crosby still likely won’t be medically cleared before free agency kicks off on March 11th at the start of the 2026 league year.

Technically a Crosby trade could still go down while he is rehabbing. However, it is incredibly rare for a trade of this magnitude to go down while the main piece is recovering from an important surgery.

Rapoport’s update comes on the heels of The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reporting that Crosby is “highly interested” in a change of scenery this offseason.

“Maxx Crosby isn’t coming right out and saying it. But to coaches and general managers around the league, it’s pretty obvious. The Las Vegas Raiders’ star edge rusher would be highly interested in pursuing a change of scenery,” Russini wrote. “Crosby remains under contract, but there’s a strong sense in league circles that he could be there for the taking, despite the Raiders likely demanding a high price (think a Micah Parsons-like package).”

The Cowboys netted two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade. If the Raiders received a trade package like that, they could significantly accelerate their rebuild.

It will be interesting to see if Crosby does get traded during the 2026 offseason. If it does happen, it will likely be before the 2026 NFL Draft.

The post Raiders rumors: Why a Maxx Crosby trade won’t happen right away this offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, she reports that Crosby “would be highly interested in pursuing a change of scenery,” and while he is still under contract, other teams believe he “could be there for the taking.” It shouldn’t be too much of a sell for Las Vegas, as they wouldn’t make him stay, though there’s no denying it would be a huge trade package.

“Maxx Crosby isn’t coming right out and saying it. But to coaches and general managers around the league, it’s pretty obvious. The Las Vegas Raiders’ star edge rusher would be highly interested in pursuing a change of scenery,” Russini wrote.

“Crosby remains under contract, but there’s a strong sense in league circles that he could be there for the taking, despite the Raiders likely demanding a high price (think a Micah Parsons-like package),” Russini continued.

Who the Raiders’ Maxx Crosby would love to play for 

While the Raiders are focusing on an upcoming 2026 offseason, Crosby will be a key factor to think about as the relationship has been “strained,” as Russini wrote, with one transgression being sitting the 28-year-old in the final two games of the season.

Russini would even say how Crosby told her once that he’d love to play for New England Patriots’ Mike Vrabel, though obviously, a lot of teams in the league would be interested.

“He has played in one career playoff game. Imagine what he could do with a stable organization accustomed to winning,” Russini wrote. “It’s unclear how this will play out, but I’m increasingly skeptical he’ll play a down for Kubiak.”

It remains to be seen what happens to Crosby and which team he plays for next season.

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Crosby would speak with Colin Cowherd on “The Herd” and was asked about the state of his connection with Las Vegas, saying his perspective has changed regarding his role within the team. While he’s been outspoken about other aspects, he’s more focused on controlling what he can.

“For me, in the past, I’ve learned being too vocal and too involved with trying to make, ‘I want this coach, or I want this,’ like, I’ve learned my lessons, and I’ve learned from that,” Crosby said. “And like, that’s not my job. My job is to be the best player I can possibly be, be that guy in the locker room every single day, the leader. That’s who I am to my core….So that’s what my importance is.”

"I try not to address certain things because no matter what someone is going to pick it apart… I'll let people do their talking, all I'm about is my actions."@colincowherd talks with @Raiders DE @CrosbyMaxx about where he stands with the organization pic.twitter.com/OHF0JnMMDj

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) February 6, 2026

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby on what has been “news” to him 

With the Raiders likely to feature Fernando Mendoza after the team takes him as the No. 1 overall pick, Crosby has been an impactful player for the team since 2019. He would also speak about how the “noise” around him is “news” to himself.

“So now that I’d be quiet, now, now that I’m quiet, now I got random people making big statements for me,” Crosby said. “I just sit back and laugh, because I know my truth, and when I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody. I’ve said it over and over again. I’m getting healthy. I’m in the building every single day.”

“So all the noise, it’s news to me sometimes,” Crosby continued.

At any rate, it remains to be seen what Crosby’s future looks like with Las Vegas, as the offseason will be commencing soon.

The post Raiders’ Maxx Crosby pushes back on trade rumors: ‘News to me’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Fernando Mendoza says on @TheHerd that he was a huge fan of Tom Brady growing up:

“I read the TB12 book. I was always big on preparation. Because, like Tom, I’m not the biggest, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the strongest. But the edge is in the intellect and preparation.” https://t.co/4VogMUSIaJ pic.twitter.com/28IDsgpH2m

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 6, 2026

The Raiders are coming off a disastrous season in which they finished in last place in the AFC West with a 3-14 record. Head coach Pete Carroll returned to the sidelines with the idea of leading the Raiders back to glory, but his team fell apart and he was fired at the end of the season. The Raiders are expected to name Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their head coach shortly after his team plays the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.

Mendoza has been in attendance during the Super Bowl build up in San Francisco as the teams prepare to play at Levi’s Stadium. He appeared with Colin Cowherd on Radio Row, and he explained that Tom Brady was his role model as he learned how to play quarterback during his formative years.

“I read the TB12 book.” Mendoza explained. “I was always big on preparation. Because, like Tom, I’m not the biggest, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the strongest. But the edge is in the intellect and preparation.”

Brady is a minority owner with the Raiders in addition to serving as the lead analyst on Fox Sports broadcasts of NFL games. Mendoza’s take on Brady can’t hurt his draft status with the Raiders.

The post Raiders likely 1st pick Fernando Mendoza reveals childhood admiration for Tom Brady appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Mendoza said he likes the Raiders fans, according to a post on X by Luis Mayorga.

“Fernando Mendoza appeared on @UpAndAdamsShow at Radio Row, discussing the diehard fandom of the #Raiders and owning the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. “The Raiders fans are some of the best fans in all of the NFL. They’re diehard, they’re loyal. They really go all in for their team.”

The Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick, and nearly every current “expert” mock draft has them taking the Indiana University star.

QB Fernando Mendoza headed for Vegas?

Mendoza said he will work hard, no matter where he winds up.

“Whatever team drafts me, I’m gonna make sure and try and give it my all,” Mendoza said. “Control all the controllables. In order to be set up like either Drake Maye or Sam Darnold one day, competing for one of these bad boys.”

However, Mendoza doesn’t see himself as a one-man franchise changer.

“I think it gets a little twisted sometimes,” Mendoza said. “It’s not just one guy who is going to go in and completely supersede everything. I believe that I’m going to do everything I can. And ask those veterans: How can I help as a leader? What can I do? And just try to work with those guys.”

The jury is out on whether Mendoza is that dude at quarterback. But he has good qualities. And that’s part of why he’s locked at No. 1, according to NFL.com.

“We don’t yet know who the Raiders’ coach will be, yet this pick feels about as locked as it could be,” Eric Edholm wrote. “Mendoza might never be a superstar, but his toughness, poise, and accuracy could make this offense go, along with Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.”

The post Fernando Mendoza sends exciting message to Raiders fans amid NFL Draft buzz appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Vegas isn’t up against the salary cp by any means. In fact, only the Tennessee Titans have more open cap space ($99 million) than the Raiders’ $87 million. So, cutting players to get under the cap in order to make moves is not a concern for the Raiders this offseason.

Despite its comfortable financial situation, Las Vegas can still trim some of the fat to get ready for the future. The franchise may soon have the most valuable commodity in pro football, a superstar QB on a rookie deal, so now is the time to prepare for that.

With that in mind, here are the three Raiders cut candidates entering the 2026 offseason.

QB Geno Smith

The Raiders cut ties with the Pete Carroll era after just one season, and Geno Smith is the main tie to that period still left. Letting Smith go this offseason just makes sense.

Sure, you can make an argument that the Raiders should keep Smith to help mentor Mendoza, but the veteran QB isn’t the best person for that. First of all, if Mendoza is not ready to start in Week 1, you can’t put Smith back out there after his horrendous 2025 campaign. Also, if you want a veteran presence for the rookie, you can get that without having to pay them $26.6 million next season.

Cutting Smith would save $8 million, which isn’t a huge number considering that the Raiders have $87 million in cap space. And if they do wait until next year, Vegas can cut the QB without any dead cap.

Still, the franchise needs a fresh start, and cutting ties with the brief Pete Carroll era is important. That’s why Smith could be gone this summer.

DT Adam Butler

The main reasons defensive tackle Adam Butler is on the Raiders’ cut candidates entering the offseason are that he will be 32 and was relatively ineffective last season. He had a career low of 1.0 sacks and just three tackles for a loss. PFF graded him 82nd out of 129 qualified interior defensive linemen.

This cut would be a little bit of a future move, too, though. Letting Butler go would save about $2.1 million, creating a dead cap hit of $4.4 million against the DT’s $6.5 million salary cap hit. Taking that dead cap charge now, though, would mean the team wouldn’t have to take a $1 million dead cap hit next season when—hopefully—the team is more of a contender.

This isn’t a big move, and taking a $1 million dead cap hit next season is not a big deal. Still, as the Raiders’ minority owner, Tom Brady, knows well, it is the little things that make a big difference for Super Bowl-winning franchises.

OL Alex Cappa

Unlike Smith and Butler, offensive lineman Alex Cappa is in the final year of his contract. So, while the team could easily carry his $6 million salary this season, it makes more sense to cut him, which will have the added bonus of saving $5 million this year.

Last season, Cappa and second-year OL Jackson Powers-Johnson competed for starting time at center and guard, with Pete Carroll’s son (and offensive line coach) Brennan Carroll preferring the veteran. Powers-Johnson’s development suffered, and then in the 2024 second round suffered a second-ending injury.

Getting rid of Cappa, who played poorly last season after winning his job, to clear the way for Powers-Johnson makes sense as a fresh start for the Raiders’ offensive line, which needs almost a complete overhaul after last season’s disaster.

The post 3 Raiders cut candidates entering 2026 offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kelce, who is pondering retirement, has remained competitive in the offseason after joining the Annexus Pro-Am at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona, which teed off on Wednesday.

The 36-year-old veteran is among the numerous athletes who joined the tournament, including Arizona Cardinals teammates Trey McBride, Budda Baker, and Zaven Collins.

Kelce had a great shot on the 16th hole, landing his ball just a few inches from the hole, as shown in the video posted by the Chiefs.

What can't @tkelce do

: @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/cKq96fMYVI

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 4, 2026

Kelce must have gotten tips from Adam Sandler when he made a cameo appearance on “Happy Gilmore 2.”

Fans were impressed with the three-time Super Bowl champion, with some also throwing in light-hearted quips.

“He’s pure athletic talent from head to toe,” said @Emma_JR3.

“Trav can do anything,” added @jking_16.

“He can’t retire. Not yet,” posted @TrollOfAngband.

“Where did he get his outfit? Tiger’s (Woods) closet in 1997?” asked @mak7200.

“Sweet shot, but I thought this video was from ‘97 from his outfit,” echoed @joewerner09.

“Swing is looking pretty good!” observed @dawhittington2.

With his nice swing, Kelce earned the gold chain, a symbolic prize of the Annexus Pro-Am given to any player who hits an impressive shot on the 16th hole.

Other athletes in the tournament are MLB stars Mookie Betts, Alex Bregman, and Cal Raleigh, football icon Carli Lloyd, and legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, among others.

While Kelce would definitely rather be on the gridiron for Super Bowl LX, being on the golf course isn’t too bad.

The post Chiefs’ Travis Kelce shows off offseason golfing prowess in Arizona pro-am appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports believes that Crosby’s haul will top what the Green Bay Packers handed Parsons before the 2025 season. Glazer even added what Crosby reportedly told him.

“I’m not going through another rebuild,” Glazer said during his appearance with Yahoo Sports Wednesday at the Super Bowl.

Maxx Crosby's time with the Raiders is most likely DONE, per @JayGlazer

What kind of haul would the five-time Pro Bowler get in the trade market? pic.twitter.com/FK1EkdKXRd

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 4, 2026

Crosby once became won over by Pete Carroll and his vision — even agreeing to a $106.5 million extension to stay in Vegas back in March.

But now it appears Kubiak will have a hard time keeping the All-Pro.

What mark Maxx Crosby must hit in possible Raiders departure?

Parsons received a whopping $188 million across four seasons when the Packers landed him. That blockbuster deal included an astonishing $46.5 million a year handed to the edge rusher.

Crosby will need to hit or top off at $47 million to reset the market.

But what NFL franchises can hand him that kind of amount? Especially ones needing pass rushing help?

The Tennessee Titans hold the best cap space as of Wednesday; sitting at $104.7 million according to Over the Cap. Renown defensive guru Robert Saleh is taking over in Nashville — the same coach who molded Nick Bosa with the San Francisco 49ers. However, Tennessee finds itself in a rebuild after firing Brian Callahan midseason.

Doubtful the Raiders would entertain a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers — which has the best space ($88.6 million) among this season’s playoff teams. Except the Bolts will need to find a replacement for aging veteran Khalil Mack.

The NFC champion Seattle Seahawks look even more enticing with more than $73 million available. Even the Los Angeles Rams could get bold and attempt to lure Crosby in with more than $48 million at their current disposal. But that’ll mean pivoting back to trading draft picks to create room for Crosby.

The post Insider suggests Maxx Crosby trade could net more than Micah Parsons deal appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Darnold and Kubiak have one more game left together: Sunday’s Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. The QB1 for the “Hawks dropped a strong endorsement of Kubiak for the Silver and Black during Monday’s media day. Including revealing his offensive coordinator’s work ethic.

“He’s unbelievable. He wakes up at insane hours. He gets to the facility at 4–4:30 in the morning, and he’s there later than anyone,” Darnold explained.

Darnold adds: “He’s a grinder. He loves football. And he’s very honest and forthcoming with his players, which myself and a lot of the guys really appreciate.”

Who can benefit from Klint Kubiak on Raiders the most?

The Pete Carroll experiment became disastrous after starting out with great hype. Reports were Carroll clashed with the direction he wanted the offense to go. Plus had a reported disconnect with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.

The 38-year-old Kubiak will aim to inject youthful enthusiasm into this struggling franchise. He shares a Seahawks connection with Carroll — though they never coached together in the Pacific Northwest. But Kubiak already looks like he’ll get the most out of some notable Raider personalities.

It starts with Ashton Jeanty — as Kubiak implemented a hard-nosed running game with the NFC champs. Kubiak will run more 12 personnel (two tight end sets) featuring pre-snap motion. Seattle’s ground attack ranked 10th overall…fueling optimism for Jeanty and the league’s 32nd ranked ground game.

But Jeanty isn’t the only Raiders star who’ll likely benefit from Kubiak’s scheme. Brock Bowers will play for a coach who turns to the TE a lot. Kubiak even referred to the position as the “silent engine” of his offense from zone blocking to the play action pass.

Raider fans will get a taste of Kubiak’s offense this Sunday in watching the Seahawks versus the New England Patriots.

The post Klint Kubiak earns massive props from Sam Darnold for HC opportunity appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The coaching cycle was full of top-tier jobs, including two with MVP quarterbacks in Baltimore and Buffalo. The hires ranged from new faces, like Jesse Minter and Jeff Hafley, to retreads like Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefanski and John Harbaugh.

Who should feel good about their hires, and who will regret the move in the years to come? Let’s go through the report cards for all 10 teams that made changes at head coach this offseason.

Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur

The Cardinals struggled to find a good fit as the next head coach in Arizona, and it seemed like Kubiak may have been their top choice. However, LaFleur isn’t a terrible place to land for a team hiring so late in the cycle. He has worked with both Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan in the past and has some playcalling experience during his time with the Jets, as bad as it was.

McVay’s history of offensive coordinators leaving to become head coaches is excellent; All three of Liam Coen, Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur were home-run hires for their respective teams. This isn’t a sexy hire because of the Jets stint, but there’s some upside here if LaFleur can make it 4-for-4 for the McVay tree.

Grade: B-

Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Stefanski

Stefanski’s reputation took a bit of a hit during his final few seasons in Cleveland, but he was far from the problem with a Browns franchise that is going nowhere at the moment. He won two Coach of the Year awards with the Browns, one of them while navigating five different starting quarterbacks on a team that made the playoffs.

How he fits with Michael Penix Jr. is a bit of a cloudy issue with this job, but Stefanski isn’t tied to the former top 10 pick and could likely move on to somebody else if 2026 doesn’t work out. With plenty of skill players at his disposal and a defense that should be competent, this is a strong hire for the Falcons.

Grade: B+

Baltimore Ravens: Jesse Minter

Minter came into this cycle as one of the top available candidates, in large part to his role in turning the Chargers into a top 10 defense over the last two seasons. Once John Harbaugh was let go in Baltimore, Minter was the obvious fit there, and now it’s a reality. The well-renowned defensive mind will now have even more talent to work with on that side of the ball, which should make this an elite unit.

The other side of the ball will likely be decided on the Declan Doyle dice-roll, at least in 2026. In the long term, however, combining a top 10 defense with Lamar Jackson is a recipe for winning. This one feels like a home run.

Grade: A

Buffalo Bills: Joe Brady

There’s two different ways to look at this hire. On the surface, Brady has been a head coaching candidate for years after leading a very good Bills offense led by Josh Allen. Buffalo will maintain its continuity on offense and should be one of the top offenses in the NFL once again in 2026 and beyond.

On the other side, didn’t Sean McDermott get fired simply because the Bills needed change in the building? Because this iteration of the franchise had hit a perceived ceiling in the postseason? McDermott wasn’t a bad coach by any indication and he was coaching a defense that was overachieving relative to its personnel at the end of the season. Promoting Brady feels complacent, and sort of defeats the purpose of canning McDermott in the first place.

Grade: C

Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken

I really have no idea what the Browns are doing. Cleveland is in need of a complete reset, especially on the offensive side of the ball, so much so that it fired an established head coach in Stefanski even though most of the blame for the Browns’ failures clearly falls on the roster-building by the front office.

A team in Cleveland’s spot needs one of two things: a young, wunderkind coordinator that can inject some life into the building, or an established culture-setter that can implement basic winning habits and give the team a respectable floor. Cleveland got neither of those, hiring someone who is about to turn 60 years old and has never been an NFL head coach. Monken feels like a bridge hire who will be out of Cleveland in a few years when the Browns are in a little better spot.

Grade: D

Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak

Kubiak has been incredibly impressive with the Seahawks in 2025, and will get one last chance to show off against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. From there, he will become the head coach in Las Vegas, where he has essentially a clean slate and gets to start off with Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers and presumably No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza on offense.

Kubiak’s offense grew stale in 2024 with New Orleans, but he has shown some real adaptability with the Seahawks. This Seattle team is running the ball well toward the end of the season, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is used as creatively as any star player in the NFL. He should have some great things in store for a core on offense that is much more promising than 2025 would make it seem.

Grade: B+

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley

The Dolphins are in need of a transition away from the Mike McDaniel-Tua Tagovailoa era, and they landed on former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Hafley has experience as a head coach in power college football at Boston College, but he has only been back in the NFL for two seasons in Green Bay.

For a first-time NFL head coach, you want a quality that really sticks out. Hafley called a good defense in Green Bay, but is he an innovative mind on that side of the ball like Minter or Mike Macdonald? I’m not sure I see that. There’s a chance that he is a great culture-setter who will galvanize this group, but there just isn’t a track record here to get me inspired.

Grade: C-

New York Giants: John Harbaugh

Harbaugh becoming available is a dream for a Giants team that has some talent, but is in desperate need of a stable leader that will get them all on the same page. Harbaugh has been exactly that in Baltimore for more than a decade, and he has a lot to work with in New York. A Harbaugh-coached team with an elite defensive line, a solid offensive line and a few cornerstone young players on offense should be at least competitive right away.

Harbaugh has his flaws; he wouldn’t have been available if he didn’t. At some point, he will have to overcome the reputation the Ravens have built for blowing big leads and not playing their best in the playoffs. But for where this Giants team is at heading into 2026, this is as good of a hire as you can have.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy

This is another hire where the candidate himself is fine on the surface, but the direction of the franchise as stated by the hire doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. The Steelers have been a fringe playoff team ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and another embarrassing loss in the Wild Card Round seemed like it could be a good spot for a clean reset. The departure of Mike Tomlin made that even more clear.

Instead, the Steelers landed on another established floor-raiser in McCarthy, who will immediately make this a competent offense and get this team around .500 once again. What is that accomplishing for an old Steelers roster that has no answer at quarterback going into the future? McCarthy would have been a good fit in some spots, but I’m not sure much is changing for Pittsburgh with this hire.

Grade: C+

Tennessee Titans: Robert Saleh

Saleh got the short end of the stick during his stint with the Jets, where he was stuck with the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. However, he still led a competent Jets defense that magically fell off of a cliff when he was fired during the 2024 season. In 2025, Saleh did a remarkable job calling a 49ers defense that was riddled with injuries, keeping them afloat and even helping them win a playoff game.

The Titans’ defensive personnel isn’t anything to write home about, but another edge rusher or two could give Saleh a really good defensive line to work with. Brian Daboll will bring some experience and some pedigree to an offense that should improve with Cam Ward at the helm in his second season. This is an intriguing hire that could fail, like it did in New York, but Saleh absolutely deserved a second chance. This is a spot that makes sense for it.

Grade: B-

The post Grading all 10 NFL coaching hires in 2026 cycle, from John Harbaugh to Todd Monken appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Raiders are planning to work out a deal with Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Source: After meeting Saturday with Las Vegas and Arizona, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak intends to try to work out a deal to become the next head coach of the Raiders,” Schefter posted on Sunday.

Schefter added that no deal can be finalized until after the Super Bowl. But Kubiak reportedly wants to coach the Raiders, and they want him as their head coach.

Now both sides need to simply formalize a deal following next weekend’s Super Bowl.

Apparently none other than minority owner Tom Brady was a big factor in Kubiak landing in Las Vegas.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday that Brady and Kubiak hit it off during both of Kubiak’s head coaching interviews.

“One thing I was told about Klint Kubiak and Las Vegas is that he and minority owner Tom Brady very much hit it off in the initial interview.” Fowler wrote. “‘Both are all ball,’ a source said. He was able to create momentum with his initial interview and that carried into this week.”

In theory, Las Vegas should see a lot of improvement on offense in 2026 under Kubiak’s leadership. He led the Seahawks to be third in scoring (28.4 points per game) and eighth in total yards (351.4 yards per game).

Kubiak will also be in a great situation to improve the team’s offensive talent this offseason.

The Raiders currently have $89 million in cap space heading into free agency.

Las Vegas has the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are expected to select Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. He would instantly have Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers as his top weapons.

The future is starting to look a lot brighter for the Raiders.

The post Raiders targeting Klint Kubiak as next head coach after Super Bowl appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Kubiak, who is currently the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, will have his second-round interviews with the Raiders and Cardinals before Super Bowl LX, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Nothing is set in stone, but Rapoport believes the 38-year-old offensive play-caller is firmly in the mix for a head coaching job.

“Before he heads to the Super Bowl, Klint Kubiak will have second interviews with the Raiders and Cardinals. With Webb out in Las Vegas, it’s likely that Kubiak will have the opportunity for one of the remaining HC jobs.”

Klint Kubiak is the son of Super Bowl-winning head coach Gary Kubiak. He began his coaching career in 2010 as an offensive quality control coach for the Texas A&M Aggies. In 2013, he got his first job in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings. Since then, Kubiak worked his way up the career ladder and has served as an offensive coordinator for the Vikings (2021), New Orleans Saints (2024), and the Seahawks (2025).

If the Raiders or Cardinals hire Klint Kubiak, it would be the first head coaching job of his career. He emerged as a top candidate in this cycle after helping lead the Seahawks to be the No. 7-ranked offense in the league. Seattle’s offense finished the regular season eighth in passing and tied for 10th in rushing.

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It’s said that Webb, who is 31 years old, withdrew from the Las Vegas job on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The only other teams Denver Broncos’ passing game coordinator and quarterback coach interviewed with for a head coaching role were the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, who have both filled their positions.

“Broncos passing game coordinator Davis Webb is withdrawing from consideration for the Raiders head coaching job, per source. Webb interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Raiders, Bills, and Ravens.”

From the sounds of it, Webb could be in line for the Broncos’ offensive coordinator job after head coach Sean Payton fired Joe Lombardi after the 10-7 AFC Championship Round loss to the New England Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

“Broncos QBs coach Davis Webb plans to withdraw from the Raiders head coaching search and is considered a prime candidate for his current team’s OC job, sources say. He’s also received several OC requests.”

Before getting into coaching in 2023, Davis Webb served as a backup quarterback in the NFL for six seasons (2017-2022). He accepted a quarterback coach role in Denver soon after the organization named Sean Payton the head coach in 2023. After two years in that position, the former NFL quarterback was named the passing game coordinator, while also still working as the QB coach for Bo Nix before the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

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The Raiders are set to interview Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak for a second time over the weekend. Other candidates in the race believe Las Vegas is leaning towards hiring Kubiak, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“It’s probably Kubiak’s job to lose,” a fellow Raiders candidate said.

Holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Las Vegas is likely to select their quarterback of the future. In turn, they’ll want a head coach who can help accentuate his strengths. Based on his work with quarterback Sam Darnold, Kubiak fits the bill.

In his debut with Seattle, Darnold completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He was voted to his second-straight Pro Bowl.

The Seahawks at large ranked eighth overall in total offense, averaging 351.4 yards per game. On the flip side, the Raiders ranked dead last, averaging 245.2 YPG. It’s clear Las Vegas needs new offensive leadership to get back on track.

Kubiak has been coaching in the NFL since 2016. He served as New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator before making a lateral move with the Seahawks. If he wasn’t to land a head coach job this offseason, he would be a top target come 2027 assuming Seattle’s offense doesn’t fall off a cliff.

However, the Raiders are hoping it doesn’t even come to that. With the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, it’ll delay the franchise’s timing a bit. But as it stands, Kubiak is the favorite to lead Las Vegas in 2026 and beyond.

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Round 1, Pick 1: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

It doesn’t take high-level AI to predict that the Raiders are going to select Fernando Menoza with the No. 1 overall pick. The national championship-winning, Heisman Trophy-winning, Indiana signal-caller is, by far, the best QB prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Yes, this is a weak QB draft overall, but after doing what he did for the Hoosiers, Mendoza would likely be at least a top-three selection no matter who was coming out. Whether the Raiders have the infrastructure and coaching staff (which we don’t know who this will be at publication) to develop him is a different story.

What we do know is that when you have the top pick and there is a potential franchise QB available, you have to make that choice. It may or may not work out in the long run, but the Raiders must take Mendoza at No. 1.

Round 2, Pick 36: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami

After a team finishes dead last in the league, it is time to take some big swings in the next draft. Well, Akheem Mesidor is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

On the one hand, Mesidor is a game-wrecker who had more sacks this season than Rueben Bain Jr., who could go as high as No. 2 overall. On the other hand, he will be 25 when the new season starts, which means there may not be much upside and the reason for his domination may have been because he was a literal man amongst boys.

To finally fulfil their quest to finally put a premier pass rusher next to Maxx Crosby, this risk is worth that potential reward (IF Mesidor is still on the board at 36, which may not happen).

Round 3, Pick 67: LB Josiah Trotter, Missouri

Jeremiah Trotter was a physical, downhill linebacker who could plug a hole and deliver a wallop with the best of them. His play in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to four Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection.

His son Josiah plays much the same way for better or worse. The Mizzou product (via West Virginia) is an old-school linebacker who is best when stopping the run. That means he’s not a perfect modern LB, who can cover as well as defend the run, but there is still value in this type of player.

Josiah Trotter may not be a three-down LB in the NFL, but he should be in the Raiders’ base package on early downs.

Round 4, Pick 102: OT Austin Barber, Florida

Austin Barber has played left tackle and right tackle in college, and at 6-foot-6, 314 pounds, he may be best at guard in the league.

Despite the Raiders’ poor finish and dead-last ranked offensive line, according to PFF, there are the pieces there that could lead to rapid improvement with Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Adding a player like Barber, who could slot in at multiple positions, will help a lot.

Round 4, Pick 117: WR Eric McAlister, TCU

While the faces may change, this is still the Raiders, so the team will become fascinated with speed in the 2026 NFL Draft. TCU’s Eric McAlister is a deep threat who has some route-running skills as well. He had over 1,000 yards last season for the Horned Frogs, and reuniting with Jack Bech on the Raiders would add some level of familiarity.

Round 4, Pick 134: TE Josh Cuevas, Alabama

Drafting a quarterback first means you have to draft pass catchers for him to throw to as well. And while the Raiders do take some much-needed wideouts in this 2026 PFF NFL Mock Draft simulator run, they also grab some tight ends, despite having Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer on the roster.

In Josh Cuevas, the Raiders get a smaller, move-tight-end who gets into his routes quickly and runs them well. The 6-foot-3, 251-pound tight end who followed Kaleb DeBoer from Washington to Alabama would compete for the TE3 spot.

Round 5, Pick 174: WR Dane Key, Nebraska

Another wide receiver pick here for the Raiders brings in Dane Key, a 6-foot-3 WR who doesn’t have top-end speed but is a smart, technical player who can balance out all that gas Las Vegas likes to have.

Round 6, Pick 181: DL Zxavian Harris, Ole Mississippi

While the offensive side of the ball will be a priority to support Mendoza, the defense needs a lot of help, too. Zxavian Harris is an absolute mountain of a man at 6-foot-8, 330 pounds who is drawing comparisons to Deone Walker, who had a lot of success with the Buffalo Bills as a rookie.

The biggest issue here is Harris’ off-field incidents, which include domestic violence and driving under the influence arrests at Ole Miss.

Round 6, Pick 184: S Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma

Robert Spears-Jennings is an all-around safety who is as comfortable playing in the box as he is covering backs and tight ends. He’s probably not fast enough to play slot receivers in the NFL, but his high school wide receiver background lets him track the ball well when covering players he can keep up with.

Round 7, Pick 219: TE Riley Nowakowski, Indiana

With three tight end formations becoming all the rage, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Raiders grabbed more than one in the late rounds to compete for that TE3 and maybe even TE4 spot on the roster.

Riley Nowakowski is another smaller, Y tight end who is similar to Cuevas but even smaller at 6-foot-1, 249. The big selling point here, though, is his connection with his college QB, Mendoza.

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That pivot has brought renewed focus to Kubiak, who is now expected to meet in person with both Arizona and the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. ESPN’s Peter Schrager was first to outline the timing and logistics, explaining how the meetings came together while the Seahawks prepare for Super Bowl LX.

“Both LV & Arizona have the opportunity to meet w/ Klint Kubiak again before the SB. That timing is typically mutually agreed upon by team, candidate, and in this case — the Seahawks. The expectation is that both LV and Arizona will take that opportunity to do so this weekend.” Schrager posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Schrager’s report was quickly reinforced by fellow ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, who added clarity on when and where the interviews are expected to take place, along with league-wide perception of Kubiak’s standing.

“Expecting these interviews to happen Saturday in Seattle. Belief among some in league is Kubiak is the lead candidate in both places.” Fowler posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Arizona’s interest comes after an exhaustive search led by general manager Monti Ossenfort and owner Michael Bidwill, who have reportedly interviewed many candidates already. With only the Cardinals and Raiders still lacking a head coach, both franchises appear eager to use the narrow Super Bowl window to gain clarity before final decisions are made.

Kubiak’s appeal is rooted in substance rather than speculation. Unlike some candidates, he calls plays in Seattle and has overseen one of the league’s most productive offenses, while also revitalizing Sam Darnold’s career. Seattle’s success has been fueled by elite talent, including All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and a balanced rushing attack featuring Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

For Arizona, the hope is that Kubiak’s offensive vision could elevate a young core built around Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson. With competition from the Raiders and a tight timeline before the Super Bowl on February 8, the Cardinals may need to move decisively.

If these interviews confirm league expectations, the next few days could determine whether Arizona or Las Vegas secures one of the most sought-after coaching candidates of this cycle.

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