Silver Minings: Raiders offense has the 2nd largest cap hit

The Las Vegas Raiders were supposed to be led by their offense last season. Dave Ziegler helped secure deals with players who were expected to become cornerstones.

After a 6-11 finish in 2022 and a disappointing season, Derek Carr and Darren Waller were moved, and fans expected money to be spent on the defense. The front office decided to add more to the offense with the signings of Jakobi Meyers and Jimmy Garppolo. Plus, adding other players such as DeAndre Carter, Austin Hooper, and OJ Howard.

While all these players weren’t expensive, the Raiders didn’t put much into the defense. They signed cheaper players who have not been consistent starters. When added to the roster, Robert Spillane, David Long Jr., and Duke Shelley were bargains.

The discrepancy in spending on offense and defense is reflected in the league rankings. The Raiders have the NFL’s second-highest cap hit on offense. On defense, they rank 29th.

Expectations for the offense should be around the same level, with most of the cap allocated to that side of the ball. The key to success is Garoppolo staying healthy throughout 2023, and Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams are duplicating 2022.

The pressure is on Josh McDaniels to prove his offensive prowess with his hand-picked quarterback. Only 70 more days until we find out.

In other Raiders links:

• Michael Penix connected to the Raiders: PFF has a new article assigning a player for each team the watch.
• Could Davante Adams be traded?: ESPN’s new article ponders the idea if the Raiders season doesn’t go well.
• Raiders Wire ranks the top five players on the roster: Raiders Wire finishes its top 25 roster rankings with the top five.