The Las Vegas Raiders are on a bit of a heater. It feels weird seeing them make some good moves. However, former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek are cooking.

We're not used to seeing this from the Raiders because the last few regimes have quite frankly had no clue what they're doing. It was bad move after bad move, with some of the biggest of those moves being at the QB position. But this regime has already gotten that one right, with the trade of QB Geno Smith.

And how they have approached free agency, the way they aren't overpaying their UFAs, when other teams are. Tre'von Moehrig, as much as we will all miss him, was overpaid by the Carolina Panthers. And, you can say the same about Robert Spillane and the New England Patriots. Don't get me wrong, those guys are some of the most deserving ever, but the Raiders weren't going to fall victim to a thing too many bad teams are doing nowadays. I mean, those two teams that paid those two guys are literally prime examples.

So they have gotten through free agency well in that aspect, and then, of course, have replaced those guys that they lost with good players on cheaper deals, and players that fit the mold much better.

So, now that the first wave of free agency is over, who are the biggest winners and losers?

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Raiders' winners and losers from free agency wave one

Winner: S Isaiah Pola-Mao

Not only is he a winner because he got a new deal, but he's a winner because he gets to play next to a versatile guy like Jeremy Chinn that will only make his job easier. The two of those guys are going to mesh so well together in the back end of the defense. And, they can both play on coverage, with that certainly being more so Pola-Mao's thing, and they can both come down into the box.

The Raiders will need a good secondary in 2025. They have the defensive line, if Koonce is healthy, to have an elite defense. But, the rest of the pieces have to come together. That falls on the secondary, which really falls on the biggest wild card of the secondary — the safety room.

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Loser: CB M.J. Devonshire

This one is a bit different because Devonshire showed some promise last year when he was thrown into the fire. And, he showed that with some more development and hopefully some playing time, he could be a good, solid cornerback in the NFL. However, bringing on guys like Eric Stokes and Darnay Holmes basically pushed Devonshire out to the practice squad if you as me.

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Winner: LBs Amari Gainer/Tommy Eichenberg

The Raiders are currently meeting with another LB for the second spot, but as far as we know, if they do sign Christian Elliss, there will be a three-man battle in training camp for that second LB job next to Elandon Roberts. The Raiders let Spillane walk, but they also let Divine Deablo walk. This has opened up the opportunity for one of their young LBs, whether it be Gainer or Eichenberg, to steal a starting spot.

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Loser: EDGE Tyree Wilson

When the Las Vegas Raiders decided to bring back Malcolm Koonce on a one-year deal, it instantly meant that Koonce was likely going to be the starter and that Wilson was going to be the backup. Had they not brought Koonce back and just drafted an edge rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft, the young defensive end would have had the chance to show that he deserves to be a starter.

Las Vegas Raiders 2025 NFL Mock Draft: After the first week of free agency the focus shifts to new bigger needs

The Raiders need to nail this.