Raiders News, Notes, and Information from NFL Winter Owners' Meetings

IRVING, Texas--The Las Vegas Raiders had a big day today at the 2024 NFL Owners Meetings in Texas.

As expected, the Silver and Black saw Mark Davis's new minority owners gain approval, and while this does not currently change the Raider Nation's landscape, it will certainly impact it in the future.

Although the approval of the new ownership arrangement was mostly formal, other significant issues arose.

Here are a few of them:

1. The Raiders are as relevant as ever around the league. I spoke with numerous people about adding several new minority owners, but obviously, the biggest that people were willing to comment on was legendary quarterback Tom Brady. One executive said, "I think the addition of Tom (Brady) is exactly what Mark (Davis) needed. Mark is a great owner and totally committed to winning, but committed to something means getting the pieces to make it happen, and whether you love or hate Tom, he is a winner, and he will infuse that into that franchise."

2. Another executive, speaking on Brady, said, "I think the desire to win has been there always for the Raiders. Mark cares, but they maybe didn't have the ingredients. Tom understands that winning is like a good meal: There are a lot of ingredients, many most people wouldn't notice, and Tom will notice those."

3. Lastly, another said of Brady, "Mark is one of the most sincere people in the league as an owner. I think each year the Raiders don't win, it gets harder on him, and that sincerity allowed him to see what was missing, and Tom fills that."

4. I found it fascinating that while Brady's share of ownership was not on the ballot today, it was what people were willing to discuss.

5. On the first day of the meeting, I talked to one executive about what he saw from the 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class. While every person I spoke to about the class admitted that they had not yet done enough research to rank or quantify players specifically, they all concurred that the 2024 class was significantly deeper than this.

6. "I wouldn't rank the guys now, but I would agree that 2025 is not the class 2024 was. If there were any similarity, it would only be that there are some guys with big promise and upside in both classes, but it isn't like we are staring at a Peyton Manning or an Andrew Luck," said one executive.

7. I had one scenario presented to me on Tuesday that I found riveting.

8. As presented, "Imagine you're Mark Davis, Tom Telesco, and Tom Brady, sitting with the top pick in the draft. Unlike Brock Bowers from last season, you're evaluating all the quarterback prospects, but none seem like a guaranteed success. Would you consider spending $40 million a year to sign a proven player like Sam Darnold, who will be a free agent? And then, would you take Travis Hunter with your pick?"

9. He was not advocating that the Silver and Black not select a quarterback; he was asking whether that could be possible after the evaluation process.

10. When I presented that scenario for evaluation by another executive, I was told, "Tom won a lot but eliminated as many chances as possible. A pick that high, you can't afford to miss, or it will set your franchise back a long way unless you catch lightning in a bottle and get a Mr. Irrelevant like Brock Purdy. I don't know if there is or isn't a franchise guy for them; that is their call, but if they are not certain, that makes a lot of sense."

11. The NFL announced today at the meeting that it will host a game in Berlin, Germany, next year. It also expressed its vision of incorporating Germany into the league's long-term plans. Specific teams and dates will be announced later. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Now, with almost 20 million NFL fans in Germany, we’ll make a historic return to the city playing a regular season game for the first time as we open the next chapter in our relationship with Berlin.”

12. The NFL announced today a 13-year extension of their deal with NIKE. I found it interesting when NIKE President and CEO Elliott Hill discussed how the NFL is intrigued by NIKE's lab that focuses on player safety, particularly in developing safer cleats. I had never considered the connection between cleats and player safety before. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “In addition to their products and services for our clubs, players, or fans, Nike is a strategic partner who will help us grow football internationally, support youth football, and make advances in player safety. The renewal of this partnership will truly have a lasting impact on the game of football at all levels, both here in the United States and around the world.”

13. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is a young player who is quickly gaining attention on NFL Draft boards. While I haven't conducted thorough research to verify this with multiple sources, three individuals have specifically mentioned him as a player to watch. When I asked about this year's equivalent of last year's Jayden Daniels, one person immediately responded with, "Dillon Gabriel," before I could finish my question.

14. There is a strong consensus that the Giants are focused on acquiring Cam Ward, the quarterback from the Miami Hurricanes. I was informed that "They have no interest in Shedeur Sanders; Cam Ward is their primary target all the way. If the Giants end up with one (1st Overall Pick), Mark (Davis) has nothing to worry about if Sanders is his guy."

One aspect of the Tom Brady discussion that caught my attention was the concern about making too many changes too quickly. As someone mentioned, “If I were Tom and wasn’t moving there to handle the day-to-day operations, I would be nervous about implementing too many changes at

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