The Las Vegas Raiders have been losing some high-level players in free agency, many of them being on the defensive side of the ball. Safety Tre’von Moehrig is headed to the Carolina Panthers while cornerback Nate Hobbs signed a deal with the Green Bay Packers.
However, there’s been one team that has been very active in poaching top talent from the Raiders. The New England Patriots have been all over Las Vegas free agents this offseason.
The first big one was linebacker Robert Spillane. He was arguably the free agent the Raiders needed to keep the most. He’s developed into one of the best linebackers in the NFL and was a team captain for the team.
However, he landed a big three-year contract in New England and won’t be back. Safety Marcus Epps was one of the free agents the Raiders were expected to let walk. He dealt with a serious injury in 2024 and was playing poorly before that.
He was a team leader but the Raiders decided to move on. He also ended up signing a one-year deal with the Patriots.
Defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson was one of the best early-season additions the Raiders made. He went from the practice squad to a starting role and finished with a career-high 5.0 sacks. The Raiders weren’t able to keep him as he signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Patriots. That seems like a reasonable price that the Raiders could’ve matched so perhaps they didn’t want to bring him back.
Reuniting With Josh McDaniels
After a year away from football in 2024, former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels landed the offensive coordinator job with the Patriots this offseason under head coach Mike Vrabel. That may have played a role in why New England has targeted former Raiders.
Chaisson wasn’t around for the McDaniels era but Spillane and Epps were. The Raiders players didn’t seem to vibe with the coach when he was in Las Vegas so it’s a surprise that some of them are eager to go work with him again.
That said, Epps and Spillane are defensive players so they shouldn’t have much day-to-day interaction with McDaniels.
Raiders Need CB Help
The Raiders have been relatively quiet in free agency but still have some major needs. The defensive secondary is a pretty big concern. The team doesn’t have a nickel corner with Hobbs leaving and they still likely need an upgrade at outside cornerback.
Ryan McFadden of ESPN detailed the cornerback need for the Raiders.
“Mike Hilton played primarily in the slot during his four seasons in Cincinnati and has some experience on the outside,” McFadden wrote in a March 17 column. “In 2024, Hilton totaled 73 tackles and five passes defended in 16 games (10 starts). Hilton is also effective at getting to the quarterback, totaling eight pressures.
“It wouldn’t hurt Las Vegas to add another outside cornerback into the mix. Rasul Douglas, who has played for four different teams, has 19 career interceptions. Asante Samuel Jr. might be a gamble after playing in only four games for the Chargers last season due to injury. When healthy, Samuels has been solid in coverage. He has six interceptions and 37 passes defended in 50 career games.”
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