The Las Vegas Raiders aren’t doing a total roster rebuild under new head coach Pete Carroll but they are doing some retooling. One player who won’t be a part of the Carroll era is center Andre James.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Raiders are planning to release the veteran center in a move that will save $1.49 million in salary cap space.
James first came to the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and was eventually elevated to the role of starting center to replace Rodney Hudson. He started 60 games for Las Vegas across six seasons and while he played well at times, he struggled in 2024 and was benched in favor of rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson.
James is 27 and has a lot of experience so other teams could look at him for center. Pro Football Focus had him rated as the 33rd center in the NFL. He may be looking at a role as a backup center in 2025. He did play offensive tackle in college so has some versatility. Perhaps another team could see him at guard or tackle. The fact that he can potentially play multiple positions could make him an appealing depth piece for a team that already has a strong starting offensive line.
Raiders Looking to Add Guard
The Raiders made a notable signing before the start of free agency with the addition of offensive guard Alex Cappa. They gave him an $11 million contract which could be considered starter money.
Despite the Cappa signing, the Raiders are hoping to further add to the guard position this offseason.
“Guard is an interesting spot for the Raiders,” Reed wrote in a March 9 column. “They released center Andre James on Friday and plan to have Jackson Powers-Johnson transition to center full-time after spending the majority of his snaps at left guard in 2024. Guard Dylan Parham was solid in 14 starts last season and fellow guard Meredith was surprisingly reliable in eight starts of his own, but that didn’t stop the Raiders from signing guard Alex Cappa to a two-year, $11 million contract last Wednesday. Cappa had a rough season in 2024, but the Raiders still view him as a viable starter who could at least provide quality depth.
“The Raiders feel good about the trio of Parham, Cappa and Meredith, who they’re expected to re-sign. Plus, Powers-Johnson can slide over to guard in a pinch. With that being said, the Raiders will still explore adding talent at guard, according to league sources.”
Will Raiders OL Hold up in 2025?
The Raiders now have their starting quarterback for 2025 following the Geno Smith trade and now they have to figure out how to protect him. Las Vegas allowed 50 sacks last season, which was tied for seventh-most in the NFL.
That said, the Raiders did have a young offensive line that got better as the year went on. With more conitnuity, the group could take a leap this season. It seems unlikely the team will use signficant money or early draft picks to address the offensive line but they could still consider trying to upgrade their right tackle spot.
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