Raiders Announce Free Agent Signing Despite Having No Head Coach or GM

Getty

Las Vegas Raiders helmet.

The Las Vegas Raiders are entrenched in their search for their next head coach and general manager but the team still has business to conduct until those positions get filled. Despite having no singular voice running the football operations, the team made a roster move.

The Raiders announced that they’ve signed linebacker Jackson Mitchell to a Reserve/Future contract. Mitchell came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent of the Carolina Panthers last offseason but was cut by the team before the start of the season.

He ended up with the Raiders but was cut again after just a couple of weeks. He eventually made his way back to the Panthers and had a very brief stint with the Memphis Showboats of the UFL. He did not play in a regular season game this season.

Mitchell played college ball at UConn where he had 438 combined tackles in four years. He was a tackling machine in college and could perhaps have some upside at the NFL level. Whether or not he’ll get a chance with the Raiders will largely depend on who the next general manager and head coach are.

Who’s Making Roster Moves for Raiders Right Now?

Though the Raiders don’t have a general manager right now and haven’t named an assistant general manager, it’s most likely that Champ Kelly is running football operations for the team right now. He has been the assistant general manager for the team over the last three seasons and was acting general manager for Las Vegas last season after Dave Ziegler was fired.

Minority owner Tom Brady is going to have a big say on roster construction going forward but it’s unlikely he’s interested in overseeing fringe roster moves right now. The big question is whether or not Kelly will be brought back next season.

Tom Telesco was OK with the Raiders retaining him but a new general manager may want to bring in his own assistant general manager. Considering Kelly’s experience, he should be able to land with a team quickly if Las Vegas wants to move.

Who Are Some Raiders GM Candidates?

As of now, the Raiders haven’t interviewed any general manager candidates. That could be due to the fact that they’d like to have an idea of who the head coach will be before they start heating up that search.

Kelly has yet to get an interview for any general manager openings but he’s been a popular candidate in the past and nearly got the Raiders job last year before Telesco was hired. Kelly could be in the mix again depending on who the team hires as head coach.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek is the most obvious fit. He played college football with Brady at Michigan and the two worked together when the quarterback was playing for the Buccaneers.

Detroit Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew could also be a name to watch, especially if the Raiders hire Ben Johnson as head coach. Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds has interviewed with the Raiders multiple times and perhaps this could finally be the time the two sides come to an agreement.