With free agency just getting underway, the Las Vegas Raiders have already experienced some losses on defense. The team’s top two tacklers from 2024, Robert Spillane and Tre’von Moehrig, have signed with the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, respectively.
Those losses mean the Raiders have some serious holes to fill. However, the franchise is armed with a ton of salary cap space and has already made a move to help offset those losses.
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network , the Raiders have come to terms on a two-year deal with former Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn.
Chinn is coming off the best season of his career in 2024, his lone in Washington after four seasons with the Panthers. He totaled 117 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five passes defended and two sacks and should immediately plug into the Raiders secondary as a starter.
The Raiders have already made one of the most significant moves of this offseason, trading a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith. While not the long-term answer at the position, he does mark an upgrade over Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell and is familiar with new head coach Pete Carroll’s offensive system from his time in Seattle.
After addressing their biggest question on offense, they’ve made a move to help shore up their defense, which already needed upgrades before losing Moehrig and Spillane. The question now is what other moves the front office will make to improve this roster.
With minority owner Tom Brady reportedly taking the reins, the franchise is looking to turn things around and make a push to the postseason. Chinn is a good signing in the short term to replace the losses on that side of the ball while also being young enough to potentially factor in long-term for this team.
Raiders to target WR Tyler Lockett in free agency?
There are plenty of other holes for the Raiders to fill within their roster and on offense. One of the biggest is at wide receiver. Outside of Jakobi Meyers, the team is pretty thin at the position, but there are some intriguing options in free agency.
One of the better ones is veteran Tyler Lockett, who the Seahawks released. With the Raiders trading for Geno Smith and having Pete Carroll as head coach, one report believes Las Vegas is a natural fit. Now, it’s simply a matter of whether the Raiders choose to pursue him.