The Las Vegas Raiders are in for an interesting offseason as they navigate free agency and the NFL Draft under a new
general manager. Tom Telesco takes over after 11 years as the Chargers’ general manager, during which he oversaw
numerous major deals and draft picks.
He will now be charged with making the Raiders a long-term winner, something that the last two regimes failed to
accomplish. The Raiders will make personnel changes, including during this year’s free agency period, to transition
from a perennial loser to a playoff contender.
Looking over Spotrac’s list of pending free agents throughout the NFL, here are three former Raiders we’d want to
see return to the Silver and Black.
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The Raiders’ offensive line is likely to change this offseason, as many starters are set to enter free agency. That might
leave a significant hole on the interior, as starting center Andre James and starting offensive guard Greg Van Roten
are two of the aforementioned starters.
John Simpson, a former Clemson draft pick, is one former Raider the team could attempt to bring back for depth or
as a potential starter. He worked his way up to a starting position in Baltimore last season and may try the free agent
waters this year.
The Raiders’ defensive end is one of their strengths, with Maxx Crosby being the greatest in the league and Malcolm
Koonce rising to prominence last season. Yannick Ngakoue, on the other hand, might be the final piece of the puzzle
at the position group, having performed admirably in his only season with the Raiders a few years ago.
This would also allow the Raiders to keep Tyree Wilson this season, bolstering one of the team’s weakest areas.
This would be a no-brainer, given Keisean Nixon has gone on to become one of the top special teams players in the
NFL after leaving the Raiders. With back-to-back first-team All-Pro honors, he will be a desirable commodity in free
agency this winter, and the Raiders must at least consider him.
