Raiders’ updated cap space and what Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden need to do in free agency
The start of the NFL new league year and free agency are a week away and the Las Vegas Raiders are positioning themselves by freeing up cap space.
The Raiders did so by reportedly trading tackle Trent Brown and their 2022 seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots in an exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick. The trade cannot be made official until when the new league begins March 17.
The Raiders officially released safety Lamarcus Joyner and guard Richie Incognito last week. Las Vegas also plans to release guard Gabe Jackson.
The Raiders restructured Nick Kwiatkoski and Cory Littleton’s contracts, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said.
These moves were mentioned when The Fresno Bee wrote about what the Raiders need to do to have enough cap space.
That means the Raiders will have at least $42 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap.
OTC already has assumed that the salary cap floor projects to be $180.5 million, thus the Raiders’ current salary cap space heading into 2021 free agency.
Last week, the NFL set the salary cap at $182.5 million. The salary cap was previously at $198.2 million.
There is still a possibility the Raiders could make more moves to add more cap space and be players in free agency.
The Raiders had to do all they could to have enough cap space to go after free agents.
The Raiders were over the salary cap, at $18 million. That number was reduced after the team released wide receiver Tyrell Williams.
It is imperative Raiders coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock hit it big in free agency. The Raiders whiffed big time in the 2019 free agency and, coining the phrase Mayock used about Brown last week, the “jury is out” on the 2020 free agent class.
How bad was 2019 free agency?
The Raiders acquired Antonio Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2019 NFL draft in exchange for third- and fifth-round selections. Drama later ensued and Brown was released before the start of the season.
Joyner was signed to a four-year, $42 million deal. He played 28 games and had no interceptions.
Trent Brown signed a massive four-year deal worth $66 million. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 after playing 11 games, only allowing one sack in 326 pass-blocking snaps. He played through an injury before a pectoral injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. This past season, Brown played in just five games (injury and COVID-19 list).
Williams inked a four-year deal, $44 million. He got off to a great start in 2019, scoring touchdowns in the first four weeks. Then he suffered a foot injury that hampered throughout the season. He missed the 2020 season because of a torn labrum.
That is how bad it was for the Raiders, but they managed to finish the season 7-9 in 2019 and 8-8 in 2020. Still an improvement, all things considered.
The Raiders are not far off by any stretch. A couple pieces on both sides of the ball could catapult Las Vegas to the postseason in 2021.
There will be plenty of free agents available. It is up to Gruden and Mayock to hit the jackpot in free agency and the draft.
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Raiders’ updated cap space and what Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden need to do in free agency."
