When the LV Raiders owner Mark Davis gave the responsibility to the co-owner Tom Brady, sorting out the quarterback position was a priority. Brady had made his intentions clear that getting the next QB call right for the franchise was important. Rumor mills went into overdrive when Brady had a ‘chance’ meeting with the Rams’ Matthew Stafford at a ski resort in Montana. That ended when the QB agreed to restructure his contract and remain in LA. Then there were rumors about Russell Wilson from the Steelers reuniting with Carroll to reignite their Super Bowl-winning chemistry. There were even mentions of Aaron Rodgers, formerly of the Jets. But they ended up trading for veteran QB Geno Smith last week and now are going about righting the wrongs of the last season.

Coming off a 4-13 season, former head coach Antonio Pierce was fired and Brady moved swiftly to bring in veteran Pete Carroll and paired him with new GM John Spytek. Together this new duo went about business swiftly. First, they shook the defensive market with the massive re-signing of Maxx Crosby. Then they acquired Smith from the Seahawks to solve their QB problem and now they are clearing the mess left by former GM Tom Telesco.

The Raiders had over $100 million in available cap space and have made several moves including giving Crosby a massive extension. Although the move did take out a chunk of their cap space, they still have a solid amount remaining and are expected to gain more after a few expected cuts.

On Wednesday, the franchise announced they have released QB Gardner Minshew II after Telesco signed him to the Silver and Black last offseason on a two-year $25 million deal. This contract had $3.16 million in guaranteed money in 2025. But with this move, the Raiders save $6.34 million on the salary cap with $7.66 million in dead money. Given how things went for Minshew in Las Vegas, this doesn’t come as a surprise.

In training camp, Minshew was named the starting quarterback partly because former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy gave preference to his experience over incumbent starter Aiden O’Connell. However, the decision backfired big time. Minshew was benched three times in the first nine games of the season, while Getsy was fired after a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9.

He was benched after five starts in favor of O’Connell. However, he returned to the starting lineup in Week 8 after O’Connell’s injury, but his run lasted only four starts before he suffered a season-ending broken collarbone against the Denver Broncos in Week 12. Overall, he made nine starts and played in just 10 games for the Raiders where he completed 66.3 percent of his passes (14th) averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, and had 1.4 turnovers per game, the second most in the NFL. The Raiders had a 2-7 record with Minshew in the lineup.

Once Carroll and Spytektook over it was only a matter of time before they did away with Minshew II, as they looked to revamp their QB room. Meanwhile, apart from Minshew, they have also released center Andre James, who spent six seasons with the Raiders after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019. With these moves, the Raiders’ cap space stands at $31.3 million based on the earlier reported cap space of $41.6 million according to Overthecap.com.

The Raiders moving to give Crosby a massive three-year $106.5 million extension and trading for Geno Smith, who previously worked under Carroll in Seattle, the franchise has been named as the winner after the first two days of the free agency.

National columnist Judy Batista noted, “The Raiders haven’t been in the winners column in a long while, so let’s give them their flowers. With no guarantee they could draft a quarterback in a class nobody is quite sure about anyway, the Raiders filled their immediate need, acquiring Geno Smith from the Seahawks in a trade that reunites Smith with Pete Carroll, who helped resurrect Smith’s career in Seattle,” said Battista. His (Smith’s) presence also means the Raiders do not have to reach for a quarterback in the first round. If one they like falls to them with the sixth overall pick, they can still draft him, but acquiring Smith removes the desperation.”

Smith was brought in via a trade from the Seahawks, in exchange for a 3rd round pick (92nd overall) in the 2025 draft, giving the Raiders a head start in the competition.

With the QB position sorted for now, should Carroll look to address the situation at wide receiver? Well, it turns out there is interest in another potential game-changer brewing.

The LA Rams decided to part ways with Cooper Kupp after eight years together. The Rams wanted to trade Kupp but were unable to find a suitable deal and on Wednesday announced his release. Now, with a Super Bowl-winning WR in the market, will Carroll and Spytek make another big move?

Pete Carroll eyes Cooper Kupp but Raiders have one condition

The HC wants to not only upgrade the signal caller but also strengthen his O-line. To do that, he could target Rams WR Cooper Kupp. It will be a major boost if he succeeds in bringing him on board. The former Super Bowl MVP has been pushed out of Los Angeles after a couple of challenging seasons.

Putting things on ice, Sporting News‘ David Suggs noted that the Raiders have shown no official interest in him. He quoted The Athletic‘s Vic Tarfur to assert, “He (Kupp) does share a useful link to the Sin City side; Las Vegas’ QB coach, Greg Olson, was the Rams’ offensive assistant in 2022.” But according to another Athletic reporter there is rumored interest from the Raiders in getting a deal done for Kupp.

Immediately after Kupp’s release from the Rams, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed tweeted that the Raiders might look to bring in Kupp if it fits their budget. “The #Raiders would have interest if the price is right, per sources, but it’s hard to see Kupp taking a discount to join a franchise in flux,” he noted.

The Raiders currently have Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers for Smith to target, but acquiring Kupp will obviously be a step up. In 2021, Cooper Kupp achieved the triple crown by leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving touchdowns (16), and receiving yards (1,947).

However, last season he averaged a career-low 10.6 yards per catch after suffering a high ankle sprain. Nonetheless, he managed 710 yards and six touchdowns on 67 receptions, along with 90 yards on six catches in two playoff games. Even if the Raiders find a middle ground over the deal, the question is whether Kupp will be interested in joining a team that may not be seen as a true contender.

With Tom Brady pushing the team, expectations are high in Las Vegas. But they are competing in a division that contains the likes of Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos. So, for Kupp to join a non-contending team on a pay cut may not sound ideal. But with Brady, Carroll, and Spytek working leading the charge, nothing is off the table.