Raiders AFC West Foe Has Challenging Future Ahead

The Las Vegas Raiders look to climb their way out of the bottom of the AFC West. Their divisional foes could have a few challenging decisions to make.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) reacts to a defensive stop in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders' season was filled with losses, including a 10-game losing streak that doomed the season.

Of their 13 losses this season, the Raiders' loss to the Denver Broncos on the road early in the season sticks out as one of the games that set the tone for the rest of the season.

After jumping out to a 10-3 lead, the Raiders lined up on the Broncos' five-yard line, hoping to add to their lead. Instead, veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew threw the ball to the other team, and the interception was returned for a touchdown.

That touchdown by Denver's defense started a 31-0 Broncos run the Raiders could not recover from.

From that point, both teams would head in opposite directions. However, with free agency approaching, both teams now have difficult decisions to make.

Ben Rolfe of the Pro Football Network recently listed a potential cap casualty for every team in the league. He believes the Broncos may consider making a financial decision.

"Let's start by saying that the Denver Broncos do not need to cut anyone for cap space reasons, with more than $35 million in cap space and more than 50 players under contract," Rolfe said. "However, they have some players on the fringe that they could look to cut if they want to open more space without restructures or extensions."

"John Franklin-Myers is the most intriguing option, with a cap number of $10 million and a potential $7 million in savings. That is a big number for a player who only played 46.2% of the snaps in 2024 despite being available for all 17 games. He did finish with seven sacks and 21 pressures, so the production is not disastrous, but it is on the fringe of being a good return on a $10 million cap number.

"The Broncos have the cap space to have the luxury of carrying Franklin-Myers' production at this value. They can also add void years to his deal and reduce that cap number by up to $5 million if they want to keep him but at a lower cost. They can also extend him if they feel the production deserves a longer deal."

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