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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
We hit 79 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now
We've reached 79 days until the Raiders season opener at Foxboro against the Patriots, With our countdown at 79 days we take a look at who currently dons the number in Silver & Black and who has brought it the most distinction. No. 79 Who's wearing it now: DL/OL Laki Tasi The Raiders International Player Pathway program roster exemption. Tasi is a Somoan who played Rugby in Australia. The 6-6, 348-pounder came to the Raiders this offseason as an interior defensive lineman, but has been getting some reps on the offensive line thus far as the Raiders try to find a spot where he has his best shot at eventually making a roster. I noticed him lining up at left guard in minicamp. Who wore it best: RT Harry Schuh Schuh was the Raiders full time starting right tackle from 1966-70. In that time, he was named to three Pro Bowls and was a first team All Pro in 1969. He also never missed a game, including four trips to the playoffs. He was the Raiders starting right tackle on their 1967 AFL Championship team when they lost to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. Honorable Mention: LT Bruce Davis Davis was part of the Raiders last two Super Bowl winning teams, including as their starting left tackle for Super Bowl XVIII. All told, he spent nine years in Silver & Black, appearing in 121 games with 76 starts.
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The 10 best remaining free-agent fits for the Raiders following the NFL Draft
The Las Vegas Raiders' roster is full. After drafting 11 rookies, signing 14 undrafted free agents and adding defensive tackle Laki Tasi, they have all 90 offseason roster spots filled. But while they'll have to release someone from the current roster if they want to sign someone else, that doesn't mean the roster is set. The Raiders hold rookie minicamp from May 9-11 and mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. Observations from those practices could lead general manager John Spytek and coach Pete Carroll to make changes. Advertisement The Raiders will still have significant cap space after signing all of their draft picks to rookie-scale contracts. That money could be saved for contract extensions or to roll over into next season, but it could also be spent on late free-agent additions. As of this week, any free agents who are signed won't count toward the compensatory pick formula for the 2026 draft. Those won't be determined until the season plays out, but the Raiders are currently projected to be awarded a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick next offseason, according to Over the Cap. Here are the 10 best remaining free-agent fits for the Raiders. The Raiders made a significant investment in the wide receiver position in the draft. They took versatile inside-outside receiver Jack Bech in the second round, big-bodied deep threat Dont'e Thompson in the fourth and slot receiver/quarterback Tommy Mellott in the seventh. Still, it could make sense for them to add a veteran. Bech should be a rookie starter, but Thompson and Mellott likely will be limited to situational roles early in their careers. Jakobi Meyers is the only receiver who's locked in as a starter. Tre Tucker started 14 games last year, but his level of play was just OK, and he'll need to earn his spot along with the rest of the group. If Tucker doesn't look like he'll take another step forward in his third season, then a veteran could provide an upgrade. The top option on the market is Allen. He's 33 years old, but he remained productive last season with 70 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. He's at his best when he's working from the slot and could slide into a starting role there. Elandon Roberts should be capable of holding down the fort at mike linebacker, but will linebacker remains a precarious position for the Raiders. The current No. 1 would probably be Devin White, who hasn't been an effective starter for a few seasons. Perhaps Tommy Eichenberg, whom the Raiders drafted in the fifth round last year, or another young linebacker could make a significant leap, but this is a spot on paper where it'd make sense to add help. Advertisement Kyzir White has been a solid will linebacker throughout his career. He started 17 games last year for the Arizona Cardinals and finished with 137 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. If the young linebackers don't show flashes in OTAs, then the Raiders should give him a call. The Raiders feel decent about their outside cornerback options. Jakorian Bennett should be a starter while Eric Stokes, Decamerion Richardson and Darien Porter compete for the other spot. At nickelback, however, the Raiders are less settled. Darnay Holmes and Thomas Harper are currently their only real options, and neither of those players has proven himself to be capable of being a full-time starter. While Gilmore is most famous for his work as an outside cornerback, he's also capable of lining up at nickelback. He'll turn 35 in September and, at this point in his career, transitioning to a slot role is probably best. Samuel played just four games last season due to shoulder and neck injuries, but he was a solid starter who played both outside corner and nickelback from 2021 to 2023. He's only 25 and could be worth a flier if the medicals check out. Douglas failed to make the Raiders roster back in 2021 and wound up being an impactful starter that season with the Green Bay Packers. He has started 51 games since then and spent time both as an outside corner and nickelback. The Raiders would need his services at nickelback. He's a big corner at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, isn't afraid to get physical in the run game and has a history of making plays in the pass game. He'd provide an immediate upgrade. Boyd is coming off a down year with the Tennessee Titans, but that might've been a product of his circumstances. He'd previously been a good slot receiver and perhaps could recapture some of his past success with a much better quarterback in Geno Smith. Hilton has been a longtime starter at nickelback. He had 73 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and five pass deflections last season. He's getting up there for a corner at 31, but he would still be an upgrade for the Raiders. Advertisement Kendricks is another older player at 33, but he showed he could still be a productive starter last season with the Dallas Cowboys. In 15 games, he had 138 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions. Although he's lost a step, he's still a better option than Devin White at will linebacker. Fuller has bounced between cornerback and nickelback throughout his career, but the Raiders would use him in the slot. He struggled with concussions last year, but he was a solid player when he was on the field. Cooper is no longer the same player who was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders from 2015 to 2018, but he could still be a starting-caliber X receiver. Maybe a reunion comes together at some point this offseason. (Photo of Keenan Allen: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The Raiders have added massive former Australian Rugby player
The Raiders have added massive former Australian Rugby player As the Raiders continue to look far and wide for hidden gems for their squad, the latest is Samoan Australian Rugby player Laki Tasi. The Raiders are adding the 6-6, 348-pounder as a defensive lineman The 21-year-old played for the Ashgrove GPS Rugby Club of the Queensland Premier Rugby Union before joining the NFL's International Player Pathway program, making this his first time on an NFL team. Tasi instantly becomes the largest player on the Raiders roster and immediately becomes one of the largest human beings in the NFL. He would be a massive presence on the inside of the Raiders defensive line. As a part of the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, the Raiders are granted a roster exemption for him. The team also had defensive end David Agoha on the roster as part of the IPP program.
NBC Sports
30-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Raiders sign former rugby player Laki Tasi
The Raiders are the latest team to take a chance on converting a rugby player to the football field. The team announced the signing of Laki Tasi on Wednesday. Tasi is listed as a defensive lineman and the Australian will have an exception for the 90-man roster as part of the league's International Player Pathway Program. Tasi, who is 21 years old, is listed at 6-6 and 348 pounds. He played for the Ashgrove GPS Rugby Club of the Queensland Premier Rugby Union before deciding to try his hand at football. If all pans out, Tasi will develop into a useful player for the Raiders down the line. If they strike gold, his development arc will resemble the one that Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata, another Aussie, has followed over the course of his career.
