The Las Vegas Raiders have been cautious with their free-agent spending this offseason under new general manager John Spytek.
Although the team handed star pass rusher Maxx Crosby a record-breaking deal and brought back Malcolm Koonce on a $12 million contract, Spytek has been reluctant to invest heavily in players from outside the organization. Newly acquired quarterback Geno Smith is expected to land a sizable contract extension, but negotiations are still ongoing.
Despite several roster needs remaining, the Raiders have plenty of salary cap space to make a significant move at wide receiver, running back, or cornerback. A big reason they still have ample funds is due to their strategy of building the roster with affordable, high-value players. Spytek continued that approach Tuesday night by re-signing a member of last season’s defensive line on a team-friendly deal.
Raiders add defensive line depth with latest signing
Few teams in the NFL dealt with as many injuries as the Raiders’ defense did last season. With Malcolm Koonce sidelined before the year even began, and key players like Marcus Epps, Christian Wilkins, and Jakorian Bennett going down early, Las Vegas had to lean on unproven players such as K’Lavon Chaisson, Isaiah Pola-Mao, and Decamerion Richardson.
One of those next-man-up contributors was defensive lineman Zach Carter, who joined the roster in mid-October following Wilkins’ injury. On Tuesday, the Raiders announced they’re bringing Carter back on a one-year contract worth $1.25 million.
Carter saw action in over 100 snaps for the Raiders last season, appearing in eight games and recording 13 tackles, 1.0 sack, one pass defended, and a quarterback hit. Prior to joining Las Vegas, he played in four games for the Bengals, where he posted nine tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one quarterback hit across 151 snaps.
Although he’s unlikely to start ahead of Christian Wilkins or Adam Butler, Carter showed some promising flashes last season under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Rob Leonard. At just 25 years old, he has the potential to take another step forward with a full offseason in Graham and Leonard’s system.
A former third-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2022 NFL Draft, Carter never quite found his footing with the Bengals. But the Raiders’ new leadership is giving him a fresh opportunity to prove he belongs in the league.
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