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The Las Vegas Raiders have improved their team this offseason. The Silver and Black have made a lot of different moves to help their team find success in 2025. New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have done a great job of putting the Raiders in position to win more games next season than they did in 2024.
Even with all the moves the Raiders made in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, they still have questions at different positions on their team. The Raiders have a lot of talent on their roster, but it is young. And the Raiders can still be looking to get more veterans at the positions they need them in.
The Raiders will continue to look for ways to get better in any way they can. And before the start of the season, it will not be a surprise if the Raiders make a trade.
Pro Football Network has suggested the Silver and Black should trade for Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II.
The Raiders held their own against the run in 2024, but their pass defense left plenty to be desired. They finished 17th in pass defense success rate (53.9%) but allowed a 96.5 opponent passer rating, which ranked 24th in the NFL. The need for reinforcements at cornerback only grew after the team parted ways with Jack Jones and saw Nate Hobbs depart in free agency.
Jakorian Bennett showed promise and was trending toward a much stronger second season before an injury derailed his progress. Even with him healthy, Bennett can’t do it alone.
The Raiders added Darien Porter in the draft, a high-upside prospect with impressive athletic traits. Veteran Eric Stokes brings experience to the group, though his performance has dipped in recent seasons.
Las Vegas’ front office should look to insert more talent and depth into this CB group. Greg Newsome II saw his role decrease last season after taking a step back in performance. He started just three games after making double-digit starts in each of his first three NFL seasons. He also missed the final four games due to injury.
Newsome allowed a 112.5 passer rating on 51 targets. Still, he’s just 25 years old and a former first-round pick with three solid seasons under his belt. While his future in Cleveland appears uncertain, quality cornerbacks are hard to come by, so the Raiders may be willing to take a flier on another young player with upside — and hope that a clean bill of health can help him regain form.
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Former Packers Star Already Experiencing Issues With New Team
The Green Bay Packers decided to cut cornerback Jaire Alexander last month, a rather frustrating move considering the Packers didn’t really have much of an answer to replace him. One of the primary reasons Green Bay released Alexander was because of his inability to stay healthy, as the two-time Pro Bowler played in just 14 games over the last two seasons and 34 over the last four. He refused to take a pay cut, and the Packers did not feel justified paying that much money for a guy who was rarely on the field. Well, Green Bay was kind of validated in its decision to move on from Alexander in training camp, as the 28-year-old is already sidelined in Baltimore Ravens camp due to swelling in his knee, via Jason B. Hirschhorn of The Leap. Alexander is going to have his knee drained and is expected to practice on Tuesday, but the fact that he is already experiencing injury issues in Baltimore is evidence that the Packers made the right move. Of course, it would have been nice if Green Bay cut Alexander back in March rather than in June, as it would have given the team a better opportunity to add another cornerback, either via free agency or the NFL Draft. Yes, the Packers signed Nate Hobbs, but the general consensus at the time was that he was being added to play alongside of Alexander; not to replace him. Green Bay has very limited proven depth at the position, and had the Packers known for sure they would be parting ways with Alexander earlier in the offseason, perhaps they would have been more inclined to bring in another corner. When healthy, Alexander is terrific. During his last healthy campaign in 2022, he racked up 56 tackles, five interceptions and 14 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance, but that’s just the thing: it’s rare that the former first-round pick isn’t dealing with some sort of injury.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Russell Westbrook Signing On Hold As Kings Aim To Finalize Key Trades
Recent league rumblings suggested that the Sacramento Kings will be signing Russell Westbrook to bolster their backcourt depth. While signing the nine-time All-Star would certainly be in their interest, the Kings appear to have other priorities in mind. Sacramento has been particularly active in trade talks this offseason. From being involved in negotiations for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga to supposedly facilitating a trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Kings will be making some changes. Westbrook's arrival is imminent, as his agent, Jeff Schwarz, has been in constant communication with the Kings' front office. However, the organization is reportedly aiming to complete trades involving Malik Monk and Devin Carter before moving forward with Westbrook, per ABC10's Matt George. The trade market for Monk and Carter hasn’t been promising. Carter has been mentioned as the central figure in Sacramento's trade package for Kuminga. The Warriors haven't viewed this favorably, as they have shown an interest in Keon Ellis instead. Meanwhile, the Kings' decision to trade Monk is an intriguing one, especially in light of the season he had. Primarily acting as a bench player, the guard put up 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per night, while shooting 43.9% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. At only 26 years old, Monk has proven himself a valuable contributor with his athleticism and shot-making ability. This move seems driven by roster imbalance and cap constraints. With a crowded backcourt and limited cap space, the Kings have been forced to make tough choices. Facilitating a trade for the guard has proven to be a challenge. Even though trade efforts for Monk began earlier this month, Sacramento hasn’t made much progress. While this could complicate matters under normal circumstances, it likely won’t derail Westbrook’s eventual signing. Apart from a few teams, the 36-year-old hadn't garnered much interest for his talents. When considering that the market for Westbrook was held up by Ben Simmons' pending decision to sign with a team, it is evident that Sacramento took a more proactive approach. This could have positive results in light of the season the veteran guard had. Coming off a solid season with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook showcased that he could be perceived as a reliable floor general even at this stage in his career. For the 2024-25 season, he put up an average of 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three-point range. He also showed that he could shine in a more prominent role, drawing on the task of being a starter in Jamal Murray's absence. That stretch led to a modest boost in production, reinforcing his value on a playoff-caliber team. Sacramento hasn’t made its direction for the upcoming season entirely clear. But given the current roster construction, a top-10 finish in the West seems unlikely.
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Cowboys aren't out of the woods despite positive Tyler Guyton injury update
The Dallas Cowboys avoided a worst-case scenario with Tyler Guyton's knee injury, but that doesn't mean they emerged unscathed. On Monday, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, the No. 29 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, was believed to have torn his ACL during training camp practice. However, an MRI later showed the ligament remained intact, and he instead suffered a fracture, which comes with an expected 4-6 week recovery timeline, far better than a season-ending ACL tear. While the Cowboys can breathe a sigh of relief that Guyton's knee injury was less severe than initially expected, they aren't out of the woods. If Guyton's recovery is on the longer end of the spectrum, he will be in danger of missing the start of the regular season on Sept. 4. The Cowboys play in the Thursday night season opener on the road against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. An unavailable Guyton would be bad news for Dallas. Asim Richards, a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 171 overall), will likely get the first chance of taking the first-team left tackle spot while Guyton heals. In his one career start (Week 10 last season against the Philadelphia Eagles), he allowed a sack and four total pressures. (h/t Pro Football Focus) Hakeem Adeniji, currently Terence Steele's backup at right tackle on the unofficial Cowboys depth chart, started his NFL career at left tackle but struggled mightily in pass protection from 2020-22, allowing 17 sacks and 72 total pressures. While Guyton experienced some rough rookie growing pains last season, including being flagged 18 times and allowing six sacks, he received his two highest PFF pass-blocking grades in Weeks 15 and 17, a step in the right direction. Instead of carrying that momentum into Week 1 against the Eagles, Guyton's injury could stall it. The Cowboys follow their trip to Philly with a home game 10 days later against the New York Giants, who could have one of the league's top edge-rushing duos in Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter. If Guyton is anything less than 100 percent, they could wreak havoc. Guyton's injury could have been much worse, but it can still cause plenty of problems.
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