Silver Minings: Don’t expect Raiders to use franchise tag

Several teams will have tough decisions to make in the coming weeks with the NFL’s deadline for teams to place the franchise tag looms.

The Las Vegas Raiders very likely won’t be one of those teams — as The Athletic points out here — as it’s unlikely that Las Vegas will place the franchise tag on anyone. There just isn’t any true must-keep free agents for the Raiders this year.

The top priority is wide receiver Nelson Agholor, but he doesn’t warrant a huge franchise-tag salary in 2021. The Raiders want to keep the 2020 free-agent addition, but if Agholor — who had 48 catches and eight touchdown catches in 2020 — leaves, it won’t kill the Raiders because the wide receiver free-agent class is stacked.

So, that’s a good thing for a team has doesn’t have a ton of cap room.

In other Raiders’ links:

• Full mock draft: The Athletic offers a mock draft for all six of the Raiders’ picks.
• All Aces: Raiders’ owner Mark Davis discusses his plans for his newly purchased, Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA.
• Verrett-Bradley reunion? The San Jose Mercury News thinks cornerback Jackson Verrett, who played for new Raiders’ defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, could end up in Las Vegas.
• Another safety hits the market: The Atlanta Falcons cut starting safety Ricardo Allen. Add him to potential Raiders’ pursuits.
• Dine, Raiders’ style: There is a new Raiders’ restaurant in Las Vegas.