Las Vegas Raiders 2022 free agency outlook

The Las Vegas Raiders had a tumultuous season, to say the least. Still, they got hot at just the right time, riding a four-game win streak to a 10-7 finish a playoff berth. They lost in the Wild Card round to the Bengals, but a strong finish and a new coaching staff in 2022 should leave the team with plenty of optimism headed into a critical offseason. Next, they’ll have to navigate through free agency, and the good news there is that they enter the spring with a healthy amount of cap space. But there are some looming decisions about their own free agents the team is going to have make.

Last season’s salary cap number dropped to $182.5 million as the league dealt with the pandemic, but the 2022 cap rebound back up to $208 million according to Over The Cap. That increase should loosen a few team pocketbooks this offseason.

Franchise/Transition Tag possibilities

Casey Hayward is the best cornerback on the roster. He’s got a connection to former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who’s since left for the Colts, but he’s versatile enough to fit with most any defensive system. Whether or not he’s worthy of the franchise tag is another matter. Defensive tackle Darius Philon is another important defensive contributor. He had 47 tackles and 4.5 sacks last season. However, the cost of the tag for a defensive tackle, projected at around $17 million, might be more than the market would set for Philon’s services.

Salary cap

Estimated 2022 cap space: ($20,537,443)

Notable unrestricted free agents