Raiders Addressed Their Fatal Flaw from Last Season: Depth

General Manager Tom Telesco and the Las Vegas Raiders have had a productive offseason.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco during the NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Before the start of free agency, the Las Vegas Raiders entered the offseason with many holes on their roster, specifically on the offensive line and at the cornerback position. The Raiders' offensive line lost a valuable starter when Jermaine Eluemunor departed in free agency. He was a dependable player along last year’s offensive line.

The Raiders re-signed center Andre James, retaining a significant part of their line from the last few seasons. Then, they drafted two offensive linemen in the draft and a tight end who can block. Their draft haul essentially added a starter in Jackson Powers-Johnson and a depth player in DJ Glaze through the draft.

Raiders general manager Tom Telesco also signed Cody Whitehair and, most recently, Andrus Peat to solidify their offensive line, as they still have versatile offensive lineman Jordan Meredith on the roster. In just a few weeks of the offseason, Telesco revamped the Raiders' starting offensive line and, more importantly, its depth. 

Telesco and the Raiders did the same at the running back position. While former All-Pro running Josh Jacobs left in free agency, Las Vegas has a running back in Zamir White that it believes can handle the rushing duties and multiple other running backs.

The Raiders re-signed veteran back Ameer Abdullah and free-agent running back Alexander Mattison, then drafted running back Dylan Laube, who they believe can one day contribute. Similar to how they addressed the offensive line, the Raiders addressed the depth at the running back position and, more importantly, did so cost-efficiently. 

Although unexpectedly, the selection of tight end Brock Bowers in the NFL Draft addressed the depth of the tight end position. Adding Michael Gallup and Jalen Guyton bolstered a trio of wide receivers in Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.

Signing quarterback Gardner Minshew gives the Raiders two dependable quarterbacks who should be able to get them through next season. The Raiders have addressed nearly every position on their offense, retooling last season’s flawed offensive roster.

Their defense was one of the best in the league over the second half of last season but still needed some additions. The Raiders signed veteran defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to a defensive line that contains Maxx Crosby and an emerging Malcolm Koonce. They re-signed John Jenkins and Adam Butler this offseason and have last year’s first-round draft pick Tyree Wilson, who has shown the ability to play defensive tackle and defensive end.

The Raiders’ defensive line is all but set. 

Linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo rarely missed time last season. Still, Telesco and the Raiders added linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who will eventually be an asset for the team but provide depth in the short term.

The Raiders selected two cornerbacks and a safety to add depth to their defensive backfield. Time will tell if the additions will work out, but Telesco and the Raiders have done an admirable job attempting to fix their fatal flaw from last season: depth.

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