Feb 10, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek at press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

3 Risky Moves Raiders Made in Free Agency

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Carter Landis | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders made plenty of smart moves this offseason as they try to build a long-term winner.

General Manager John Spytek got to work on re-tooling a roster that needed to tear it down and start over. With lots of cap space to work with, Spytek didn't have to spend like crazy, and he was smart with the franchise's money.

We recently highlighted the best moves Las Vegas made in free agency, and you can read that piece here.

Today, however, will be about the questionable moves the Raiders made this offseason, because not every move earned an A-plus.

What were some of the more head-scratching decisions the team made during free agency? Let's break down three moves we have questions about.

The Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker deals

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While the Raiders needed to add linebacker talent with Elandon Roberts and Devin White out the door, the money they gave to these two former Georgia Bulldogs didn't make a ton of sense.

In theory, you can understand adding a versatile piece in Dean and a downhill attacker in Walker, but Dean is often injured and Walker is a one-dimensional player. Both players earned at least $20 million in guaranteed money, and while the Raiders had the funds, they could have been spent elsewhere.

Las Vegas will rely on Dean to stay healthy and Walker to add more to his game than aggressive run-stopping. If those things don't happen, these deals won't look good in the long run.

Re-signing Malcolm Koonce

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The idea of Malcolm Koonce has always been better than Malcolm Koonce the actual football player.

Koonce either hasn't been healthy during his time with the Silver and Black, or he hasn't been producing. To be fair, he could have built on a strong end to the 2023 season in 2024, but a season-ending knee injury ruined that for him.

Still, he hasn't developed into the player the team thought he would. Maybe with a fully healthy season under his belt, he can be a solid depth piece on a one-year deal.

Not adding a veteran RB behind Ashton Jeanty

It made sense for the Raiders not to bring back Raheem Mostert or Zamir White, but they're relying on either Dylan Laube or a rookie from the 2026 NFL Draft to back up Ashton Jeanty.

Jeanty had a fine rookie season, despite playing in a bad offensive scheme and behind a poor offensive line. However, Klint Kubiak will not ask him to be Superman, and should add another RB to take some of the workload away from him.

The Raiders could have signed a cheap option like Brian Robinson Jr. or Rico Dowdle, but Jeanty and Laube remain the only RBs on the roster as of now. Adding a running back in the draft has become imperative when it didn't need to be.

This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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