The Las Vegas Raiders appear committed to making Jackson Powers-Johnson their center of the future. Andre James, who started at center for the past four seasons, was benched in favor of the rookie last season, signaling a shift in the team’s plans. The Raiders decided to move on from James this offseason, but he quickly found a new home with the Los Angeles Chargers, signing a three-year, $24 million contract.
Given the terms of his deal, it’s likely James will be the Chargers’ starting center in 2025. This is a solid contract for a player who struggled in 2024, with Pro Football Focus ranking him as the 46th-best center in the NFL. While James has generally been an average center, his performance took a step back last season, which led to the Raiders parting ways with him. It remains to be seen whether the Chargers made a wise move in offering him a strong contract.
Raiders Offensive Line Outlook The Raiders’ offensive line doesn’t seem set for major changes this offseason, with their only notable addition being offensive guard Alex Cappa, who previously worked with general manager John Spytek during their time together at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
However, the team may still look to add competition along the line. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, Cappa will compete with Parham and Meredith for two starting spots. Meredith, who was a former practice squad player, impressed last season by starting eight games and holding his own despite the team’s struggles. Additionally, while the team has expressed optimism about DJ Glaze entering his second year, it’s expected they may add another player to compete at guard.
Raiders OL Ranked 23rd in NFL If the Raiders stick with much of the same offensive line from last season, they’ll need to hope for improvement from their young players. In 2024, the offensive line was a weakness, ranking 23rd in the NFL according to Pro Football Network.
The unit struggled in the run game, ranking 22nd in RBWR and 21st in RBYBC/rush (0.85). The performance of the running backs didn’t help, but the line had difficulty opening up holes. However, there was some improvement late in the season, with the team ranking eighth in the final four weeks. The key question for the Raiders is whether they’ll address the offensive line further in the offseason or stick with the current group, hoping that the upward trend seen in December continues.
Fortunately, the Raiders have some promising young talent. DJ Glaze showed potential at right tackle, and Powers-Johnson has All-Pro potential at center. Kolton Miller should be better now that he’s healthy. The main concerns are the two guard spots, with Cappa’s struggles last season and Dylan Parham’s inconsistency in his career. The Raiders could look to address the guard position in the draft to bolster the offensive line further.
