The next era of the Las Vegas Raiders is finally here, as the team has made several sweeping changes across the board ahead of the 2025 season.
The Raiders revamped their front office and sideline by hiring John Spytek and Pete Carroll to serve as their new general manager and head coach, respectively. The duo made their first big move as members of Las Vegas, sending a third-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Geno Smith.
Following a disappointing 2024 season, the Seahawks appear to be embracing a rebuild. They traded away Smith and dealt D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to Metcalf, Seattle also cut ties with beloved veteran receiver Tyler Lockett, who’s expected to garner interest in free agency.
One logical destination for Lockett is Las Vegas, given his ties to Carroll via Adam Schefter of ESPN:
One natural landing spot for soon-to-be former Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett is the Las Vegas Raiders, whose head coach Pete Carroll knows his former wide receiver well. Lockett’s character always has matched his talents, and Carroll always has been a big supporter. Raiders also need… pic.twitter.com/QUSU6qwtt9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2025
It’s a perfect match on paper. Las Vegas and Carroll need to bring in veterans to help out the roster, and Lockett fits the bill. While Lockett put up quieter numbers in 2024, he’s still a healthy body and someone who can help open up the field for people like Brock Bowers.
The Raiders offense as a whole should be much better in 2025, as Smith is a massive upgrade over the likes of Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Smith ran into trouble last season due to shoddy protection from his offensive line, so Las Vegas would be wise to invest in the group via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.
While nothing is certain as of now, it’s easy to envision how Lockett will fit with the Raiders. Lockett won’t be able to fix every issue in the passing game, but giving Smith a familiar target could go a long way in turning the tide around.
Pete Carroll and John Spytek aren’t attached to any players on the Las Vegas Raiders, so more changes are expected to come in the next few weeks. For example, the Raiders are reportedly shopping Michael Mayer and Zamir White ahead of the draft.
