The Las Vegas Raiders are getting an early start on free agency. While the new league year hasn’t started yet, players who have officially been released by their previous teams are free to sign whenever.
The Cincinnati Bengals recently announced that they released veteran offensive lineman Alex Cappa and the Raiders were quick to pounce. AMDG Sports announced on Wednesday that Las Vegas signed Cappa to a two-year, $11 million contract.
That’s a solid payday for the veteran and could indicate that the plan is for him to be a starter in 2025. Kappa is an obvious addition for the Raiders. He played with minority owner Tom Brady in Tampa Bay and general manager John Spytek was part of the front office that drafted him.
Cappa is also a Super Bowl champion. However, not everybody is high on the signing. Cappa’s Pro Football Focus grade came in at 50.5, which is ranked 110 out of all guards. He also allowed eight sacks, which was tied for most in the league by a guard. It remains to be seen if the plan is for him to start or for him to be a high-end backup. That may depend on Jordan Meredith and Dylan Parham’s development.
Does This Signing Mean Jackson Powers-Johnson Is a Center?
The Raiders drafted Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round last year with the plan to move him to guard. While he played all over the offensive line in college, he did his best work at center.
Andre James was the Week 1 starter at center last season but struggled. That led to Powers-Johnson taking over at center and he played at a very high level. James is still under contract and has ties to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly but he’s likely going to get cut.
This would pave the way for Powers-Johnson to be the center for the foreseeable future. There was previous talk of moving Parham to center but it looks like Powers-Johnson is the better fit. He could be very good at guard but he has a chance to be one of the best centers in the entire NFL. With Cappa coming in, the Raiders may be content with their offensive line heading into the draft.
What Raiders Starting OL Could Look Like?
The Raiders offensive line wasn’t great last year but they had a lot of young players who showed promise. Kolton Miller is still going to be the starting left tackle and it looks like Powers-Johnson will be slot in at center.
Cappa and Meredith will likely battle for the starting left guard spot. Parham should continue to be the starting right guard. Right tackle is the one position that is still interesting. DJ Glaze looked solid as a rookie last season but it’s hard to know for sure if he’s earned that starting spot.
It’s no secret that Spytek wants to build the team through the trenches. He didn’t draft Glaze so he may want to explore other right tackle options. That said, this could be a solid group in 2025 and there’s going to be more continuity. They have to play better if the Raiders hope to improve on offense.
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