Silver Minings: 2 Raiders are on top 101 free-agent list

NFL teams will be able to start talking to free agents in 12 days and NFL.com has you covered with a list of its 101 best pending free agents, including players who may be given the franchise tag.

Two Las Vegas Raiders potential free agents made the NFL.com list. They are cornerback Casey Hayward, who landed at No. 69, and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who was No. 96 on the list.

The Raiders have a long list of potential free agents, but none are truly just-keep players. Still, keeping both Hayward and Mariota will likely interest the new staff. But I can also see both players getting quick interest elsewhere. Hayward had a strong season in 2021 and quarterbacks are always hot tickets.

In other Raiders’ links:

• As expected: The Raiders are talking to a lot of receivers in Indy.
• Olave is into it: San Diego native, Ohio State receiver Chris Olave, a popular Raiders’ mock-draft target in the first round, said his brother loves the Raiders and he’d be happy in Las Vegas.
• Waiting on Rodgers: The Las Vegas Review-Journal explains that the Raiders may be directly waiting on Aaron Rodgers to figure out what’s up.
• Interesting free-agent target: Longtime NFL reporter Aaron Wilson thinks the Raiders could make a play for Cincinnati defensive tackle B.J. Hill in free agency,
• Nothing yet: The Raiders and star defensive end Maxx Crosby aren’t close on a new contract. Don’t fret yet, though. He doesn’t hit free agency until next year.