Despite the Las Vegas Raiders losing several veteran players, new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek got to work building the roster to better fit their vision of the team.
Free agency has brought a multitude of good players, from safety Jeremy Chinn on the first day to linebacker Germaine Pratt during last week’s minicamp. The Raiders also drafted 11 rookies to key positions, headlined by Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick. With the new infusion of talent, the Raiders should look much better than they did a season ago.
However, when asked about his favorite player to watch this offseason, none of those options came to mind for Carroll.
A surprising player has made a positive impression on the veteran head coach.
In a press conference after the conclusion of minicamp, Carroll highlighted offensive guard Laki Tasi as a personal favorite of his throughout the team’s offseason program.
“My favorite guy out there to watch is Laki Tasi,” Carroll said. “He knows nothing about football when he walks in the door, and he’s made tremendous progress. He’s enormous, he’s the biggest guy you ever saw, and I think he weighed in at weigh-ins the other day (at) 369 (pounds).”
A rugby player in his native Australia, Tasi joined the Raiders through the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP).
Initially, Tasi was slated to play defensive lineman, but he switched positions early on to offensive guard. Regardless, Tasi remains a very raw prospect, due to him only picking up the game of football recently. However, Carroll expressed confidence that Tasi’s rugby background and athleticism gives him a solid base to build off of.
“He’s learning, we got to keep an eye on him, it’s an exciting process,” Carroll continued. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but he’s starting from ground zero and he’s made a lot of progress so far.”
Due to his status as an IPP player, Tasi can be stashed on the practice squad and not count towards the 16 player limit.
Helping Tasi’s case is the state of flux the interior offensive line is in at the moment. While center is held down by 2024 second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson, the offensive guard spots carry some uncertainty. Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith are not under contract for next season, although Meredith does still qualify as a restricted free agent. Alex Cappa is hoping to rebound after a rough final season in Cincinnati, while third-round rookie Caleb Rogers is trying to impress the Raiders early on.
With continued development and a little luck, Tasi can hope to emulate his countryman in Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and develop into a dominant player in the trenches for Las Vegas.
