While Not a Pressing Need, Raiders Must Still Plan Ahead in One Spot

The Las Vegas Raiders have a laundry list of things to consider while rebuilding their roster this offseason and beyond.

Two Things Can Be True at Once

The Raiders unquestionably made the right decision by signing Nakobe Dean early in the offseason. He quickly improves what was a lackluster group of linebackers in 2025 and has shown the ability to do all of the things the Raiders want to do under defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.

Dean's abilities are far from in doubt. His fit with Las Vegas is not in doubt either. However, with the contract the Raiders just gave him, there is no way they did not look at every aspect of Dean's professional career. This includes his injury history, which has been a concern since he was drafted.

It could be argued that Dean should have been drafted higher than he was. However, his size and durability were legitimate questions posed by draft experts. His production on the field has removed any concerns about his size, but his size and physical play have led to problems.

Those problems were the same problems predicted by draft experts. Last season, Dean missed seven games and started only eight of the 10 games he played. Dean appeared in all 17 games during his rookie season, and 15 games in the 2024-25 season.

He only appeared in five games during the 2023-24 season. Injuries have long been a concern for Dean, which means they should have been a great concern for Spytek and the Raiders.

Spytek recently spoke about how close he is with Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. This makes it even more unlikely that Spytek did not dig as deep as possible into Dean's injury history before handing him a solid contract early in free agency.

"Howie [Roseman] is great, and he's one of the best at what he does, and he finds value in places. So, and I mean this with respect to Howie, I always watch myself a little bit when he calls because he's so good at what he does, but he's been great," Spytek said.

"He's been a great mentor to me. He's taught me a lot. I learned a lot from him in the year and a half, two years I was with him in Philly when he moved into the personnel department. And he's been a great resource for me as I've got this job."

If all goes well, the Raiders will have little to worry about regarding Dean's health. However, things rarely go as planned in the National Football League. Things go as planned even less often, especially for the Raiders. They must have a quality plan in case Dean misses time.

If they fail to do so, and Dean gets injured, they are essentially back to where they were before signing Dean, which is a bare group of linebackers. With 10 draft picks, Las Vegas' front office must think and plan ahead.