As the new era of the Las Vegas Raiders arrives, new general manager John Spytek has a wealth of offseason assets with which to work.
According to Over The Cap, the Raiders are projected to have $85.8 million in effective cap space. That’s the second-most in the NFL and should position Spytek and the Raiders to reconfigure this roster for new head coach Pete Carroll and his staff quickly.
The Raiders hope that part of that money is spent on retaining some of their own talented free agents. Two Raiders were among ESPN’s top 50 NFL free agents according to Matt Bowen.
Las Vegas safety Tre’von Moehrig checked in as the No. 13 free agent and Raiders edge rusher Malcoom Koonce was ranked No. 28. Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs also just missed ESPN’s top 50 NFL free agents.
Here’s what Bowen had to say about Moehrig.
An ascending player, Moehrig notched five interceptions and 12 pass breakups over the past two seasons. He had five tackles for loss in 2024. He has the range to play from depth, and he is a tone-setter on contact when he spins down into the front. – Bowen, ESPN.
ESPN national reporter Jeremy Fowler said multiple personnel evaluators told him that Moehrig’s film was the best of any free agent safety and that it would be hard for the Raiders to retain him.
The Raiders will certainly attempt to do so, though. The 6-foot-2, 202 pound safety has tallied 297 tackles and six interceptions during his four seasons with the Raiders since being selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Moehrig racked up 104 tackles last season, which ranked second on the team. The TCU alum added 10 passes defended, five tackles for loss and two interceptions in 2024.
As Bowen noted, Koonce’s 2024 season ended with a knee injury in September. If he’s healthy, the Raiders should think seriously about pairing him back up with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
He posted eight sacks and 29 pressures in 2023. If the knee checks out, Koonce should be viewed as a three-down defensive end with the pass-rush juice to disrupt the pocket. – Bowen, ESPN.
Other key Raiders free agents include defensive tackle Adam Butler, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson and linebacker Robert Spillane.
The NFL’s new league year begins on March 12 at 1 p.m. PT and the 2025 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 24 from Green Bay, Wis.