Tag: Reconnect

After cleaning house at the beginning of the offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders finally have both their head coach and general manager in place.

Mark Davis and his hiring committee selected the highly-touted John Spytek to be the team’s next GM and Super Bowl-winning head coach Pete Carroll to lead the franchise.

The key cog in Davis’ hiring committee was minority owner Tom Brady, who is looking more and more like he has a strong hand in the Raiders’ football operations.

With that notion in mind, let’s take a look at several free agents who could rejoin their former teammate in Las Vegas.

1. Lavonte David, MLB

While David was drafted before Spytek made it to Tampa Bay, he was integral in keeping David a part of the franchise for so long. Brady played with him for three seasons as well, and won Super Bowl LV with the linebacker.

David is a 13-year veteran, but is still at the top of his game. He had 122 tackles last season for the Buccaneers and 5.5 sacks, which was his best mark since 2013. If the team does not resign Robert Spillane, David should be a top priority.

2. Carlton Davis, CB

Carlton Davis was drafted by Spytek and Co. to Tampa Bay in 2018, and played for the franchise for six seasons. He overlapped with Brady for three of those years, and was also part of that Super Bowl-winning team.

Davis earned a nice contract with the Detroit Lions this offseason, and was having a career year until he suffered an injury late in the season. He is set to be a free agent once again and should be a top target for the Raiders as a starting cornerback opposite of Jakorian Bennett.

3. Stephon Gilmore, CB

Gilmore’s best years are certainly behind him, but he is not as old as many think and still put together a solid campaign for the Minnesota Vikings this year.

The former Defensive Player of the Year played with Brady for three seasons in New England, winning a Super Bowl, and could be reunited this offseason as Gilmore is set to hit free agency once again.

4. Kyle Trask, QB

Trask was a second-round selection by the Buccaneers in 2021, which means that Spytek was almost certainly high on him. He also served as Brady’s backup for a few seasons, so the two know each other very well.

The Raiders are devoid of answers at the quarterback position, so Trask could fill a need as a backup in the short term. He is a free agent with little experience, so it would be a cheap venture to bring him in. Based on where he was drafted, he could have some serious potential as well.

5. Chris Godwin, WR

Chris Godwin and Tom Brady were absolutely electric in their time together on the Buccaneers, serving as major catalysts on the Super Bowl-winning squad in 2020. Spytek was also integral in him being drafted to Tampa Bay in 2017.

Now, Godwin is set to test free agency in a year when the Raiders have ample cap space to make a big splash. Las Vegas needs another strong wide receiver alongside Jakobi Meyers, and Godwin would be a huge asset to whoever the team brings in at quarterback.