The Las Vegas Raiders are counting on Tom Brady to deliver some magic this offseason as they prepare for major moves in the NFL Draft.
The former New England Patriots quarterback recently became a minority owner of the AFC West team and is expected to play an important role in the search for a new head coach in the coming weeks. According to The Athletic, Brady will have “a lot” of influence in the coaching search, following Antonio Pierce’s dismissal after only one season in charge and a 4-13 record that left him out of the playoffs.
Raiders fans hope Brady can spread his winning ways throughout the team as he takes over another NFL franchise. However, the 41-year-old is also in the first year of a ten-year contract with FOX Sports as an analyst, with a staggering total pay of $375 million. This has prompted former MLB executive David Samson to speculate that Brady will have to choose between the two roles.
Speaking on The Dan Le Batard Show, Samson stated, “Tom Brady is running that team right now – the NFL and Fox know it, and something has to give. So enjoy Tom in the booth, because he will not be there next year.
“He will be in the Raiders’ front office, but he will not return as a Fox analyst; you cannot be this involved in a team’s operations while also being the top analyst. His actions are an absolute insult to analysts. What he is doing is an insult to the team president. You end up doing both of them mediocrely… and I guarantee he will choose the Raiders.
He continued, “Tom Brady will not be with Fox next season; he will be full-time in the Raiders’ front office, running that team. Period.” Irish Star Sport has looked into potential plans that could benefit both Tom Brady and the Raiders this offseason.
NFL Draft pick to lead the offense
The Raiders will have the sixth pick in this year’s NFL Draft, after initially expecting to be in the top three. Victories over the New Orleans Saints and the Jacksonville Jaguars pushed them down the rankings, from first to sixth. Although winning games is generally regarded as more important, the Raiders’ poor record may have made a few losses advantageous in terms of Draft prospects.
Following Davante Adams’ move to New York during the regular season, PFF suggested that Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan might be a good fit to improve their skill player roster. However, Raiders fans hope for a young quarterback in the draft.
If the gifted Shedeur Sanders remains available by the sixth pick, Las Vegas may be able to select him. In his senior year, the Colorado Buffaloes star was named Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year and received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation’s best college quarterback.
Other potential picks include Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cameron Ward, Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson, and Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty.
Roster overhaul
According to the Raider Ramble, the Las Vegas team needs a significant offseason to improve its playoff chances—and its wage cap could be a key factor. The Raiders’ cap space is expected to be around $91.2 million in 2025, allowing them to make some significant free agent moves. This budget also allows the team to retain its best players, which could be critical to Brady’s new team’s success.
The Raiders’ defense allowed 46 touchdowns this season, placing them 17th out of 32 teams in the league. The team allowed an average of 25.5 points and 333.1 yards per game, ranking 26th and 15th out of 32, respectively. These damning statistics indicate that they need to improve their defense this offseason, but their offense also leaves much to be desired.
This season, the Raiders had the NFL’s worst rushing offense and the 13th-best passing offense, with averages of 79.8 and 223.4 yards, respectively. Despite relying more on the passing game during the regular season, Gardner Minshew was intercepted 10 times, ranking him as the league’s 16th most picked-off quarterback.
The Raiders will need to improve on both sides this offseason, but the good news is that they should have enough cap space and draft picks to do so.
Home advantage
The Raiders will play nine games at Allegiant Stadium in 2025—one more than they did last year. This extra home game will reduce the players’ travel time and could boost their performance over the 18 weeks.
Gaining an extra week of home-field advantage could be a huge benefit to the Raiders in 2025. The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13), New York Giants (3-14), Tennessee Titans (3-14) and the Cleveland Browns (3-14) will all visit the Raiders next year, so they could have an advantage in a large number of their home games.
Only time will tell if Las Vegas make these offseason moves. However, if the struggling AFC West team is blessed with some of Brady’s insight, it could be an exciting year for the Raiders.
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