The Raiders won the offseason, can they start winning games?

The Raiders entered the offseason with the first pick in the draft and the second most cap space in the NFL. They cashed in.

Sporting News gave the Raiders the second best offseason grade (just behind the Rams) ahead of the 2026 season. 

The biggest acquisition of the offseason was easy. The Raiders had the top pick in the draft after getting horrid quarterback play in 2025. Fernando Mendoza separated himself from the rest of the quarterback prospects in the draft. It was a decision that would have been hard to screw up. 

The Raiders took advantage of their ample cap space by making former Raven Tyler Linderbaum the highest paid center in the NFL. Las Vegas entered the offseason with $70 million more in cap space than Baltimore and used that to their advantage. 

Linderbaum is 26 years old and was graded as the fourth best center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He should be a mainstay on the Raiders offensive line for years to come. 

Crosby’s return is a short-term positive 

The Raiders failed trade of Maxx Crosby could be seen as a positive or a negative depending on the outlook. After Baltimore backed out of the trade for Crosby, the Raiders managed to retain one of the NFL’s best pass rushers. Crosby, if he can stay healthy, should play like a top-five edge rusher in the league and be the Raiders best defensive player.

However, Crosby, who will turn 29 in August, has been injured in each of the last two seasons after playing every single game through his first five years in the NFL. Crosby is likely going to be leaving his peak years of production while the Raiders spend the next two seasons rebuilding. 

Crosby’s age doesn’t match the Raiders timeline to truly compete. If Fernando Mendoza is immediately a superstar that timeline could be accelerated. But the most likely outcome is Crosby hits a decline in production just as the Raiders start to contend. 

The two first round picks the Raiders would have landed from Baltimore would have matched the franchise’s timing much better. But for 2026, the Raiders should have a premier pass rusher. 

Under the radar acquisitions 

Mendoza’s career will determine if this offseason - and general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak’s careers - was any good. But the Raiders will also benefit if they managed to hit on some of their lower profile additions.

The Raiders beefed up the linebacker position with Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker and Kwity Paye. All three signed contracts between $12 and $16 million per year, as the Raiders looked to spread around their spending on defense. If those three can give the Raiders above average defensive starters, it will be the first sign the Las Vegas defense can compete.

Jalen Nailor could help turn around the Raiders wide receiver room. Plus quarterback Kirk Cousins will likely be the most noticeable addition, if he does indeed get the start in week one. 

Overall, the Raiders had plenty of ammunition heading into the offseason. Now it is time to see if they can finally turn the franchise around.