Latest news with #AlexCappa
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
We hit 65 in our Raiders countdown to kickoff. Who wore it best and who's wearing it now
We've reached 65 days until the Raiders season opener at Foxboro against the Patriots, With our countdown at 65 days we take a look at who currently dons the number in Silver & Black and who has brought it the most distinction. No. 65 Who's wearing it now: G Alex Cappa The eighth-year veteran spent his first four years in Tampa where in his third year, the Bucs won a Super Bowl. So, this offseason, when Tom Brady joined the Raiders as a minority owner, he brought onboard GM John Spytek, and then Cappa was released by the Bengals, they moved quickly to sign him to man the right guard spot in Las Vegas. Cappa has worn the number 65 his entire NFL career and retains it with the Raiders. Who wore it best: T Barry Sims Sims was an undrafted free agent by the Raiders out of Utah State in 1999. As a rookie, he assumed the job at left tackle and never let go. He was the full time starting left tackle for the next seven of the next eight years. This included the Raiders playoff seasons from 2000-02.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What if the Buccaneers could re-do the Joe Tryon-Shoyinka draft pick?
It has become a popular project this offseason for teams to revisit specific NFL Draft selections throughout history. Pro Football Focus has done it with every NFL draft from 2007 to 2014, allowing for numerous fun ideas to play out and explore alternate history. Now, Bleacher Report is throwing its hat into the ring by exploring the worst draft picks from every NFL team over the last five years and fixing them. Matt Holder wrote up all the picks for Bleacher Report, and for the Bucs, he decided to revise their selection of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. The former Bucs edge rusher is now in Cleveland with the Browns after signing with them this offseason. Still, Holder decided to give Tampa Bay another lineman in his correction piece. The Bucs avoid the disappointment of Tyron-Shoyinka and instead land interior offensive lineman Landon Dickerson. Holder writes, "The Buccaneers ended up losing starting guard Alex Cappa during the 2022 offseason, so Dickerson would have become a first-stringer by his second season with the club at the least. The three-time Pro Bowler also has the versatility to play center, a position that Tampa needed just a few years later when it took Graham Barton in 2024." While Barton has been outstanding in his rookie year, it would be nice to have had that position locked down much earlier. It would have allowed for more positional flexibility in the 2024 draft, but alas. For now, the Bucs are happy with Barton; they got what they could out of Alex Cappa, but still, this is a fun look back on the class.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Raiders minicamp: Pete Carroll hoping reconfigured offensive line pays dividends
HENDERSON, Nev. — Despite having one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, the Las Vegas Raiders opted against making a significant investment in the position group this offseason. Though they signed free-agent veteran guard Alex Cappa and drafted offensive tackle Charles Grant and guard Caleb Rogers in the third round, Cappa is the only one expected to play a significant role in 2025. The Raiders are banking on offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Brennan Carroll being able to develop and scheme up the unit. Advertisement 'They've done a really solid job,' head coach Pete Carroll said Thursday. 'They've really worked on their technique. … BC's done a really nice job of getting all these guys to look uniform. They step really well. The hand placement is really good. The communication seems to be sharp. Chip's got a really in-depth, busy plan that we ask these guys to embrace. 'Fortunately, Geno (Smith) is kind of the run coordinator on the field, and he changes things and does the things that we need to do. All of that has worked together really well. So, it looks like a good, solid group. … It's very competitive, and we feel like we have some depth. Going into (training) camp is really when we'll know what's happening.' 🔴📽️ Live: Pete Carroll, Alex Cappa, DJ Glaze and Raheem Mostert address the media from the Intermountain Health Performance Center. — Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) June 12, 2025 Left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard Dylan Parham, center Jackson Powers-Johnson and right tackle DJ Glaze were starters in the group that struggled last year. The Raiders are optimistic they can get more out of all four. Miller missed most of the 2024 offseason after undergoing shoulder surgery and wasn't himself once the season began. He's now fully healthy, and it's reasonable to expect him to be better this year. Powers-Johnson bounced around from left guard to center and right guard. He's now focusing solely on center — getting in better shape and improving his technique — and could be primed for a Year 2 leap. That's also a possibility for Glaze, who was decent as a rookie but needs to get more consistent both as a run and pass blocker. 'I'm just really trying to slow everything down,' Glaze said Thursday. 'I'm seeing the game one play at a time. … That helps me play faster. I'm not trying to think about too many things at once. I'm not trying to be perfect. Mistakes are going to happen.' Advertisement The staff believes he has made progress in OTAs. 'I thought he had a really, really good offseason with us,' Pete Carroll said. 'He looks like he's ready to go. He's a second-year guy, but guys go from Year 1 to Year 2, and they have the ability to make a big jump.' Parham likely is what he is at this point — a solid player — and he could be pushed for his starting role. Jordan Meredith, who also started multiple games last season, has been in the mix at left guard. So has Thayer Munford. Parham didn't practice Thursday due to an undisclosed reason, and Munford stepped in as the first-string left guard. Munford spent his first two years with the Raiders playing left and right tackle, but he did start games at guard in college. He's someone to keep an eye on as another option. At right guard, on the other hand, Cappa seems likely to be the starter. He has played poorly the last two seasons and battled multiple injuries, so the Raiders are hoping he can produce a bounce-back season. Pete Carroll also made sure to mention offensive tackle Laki Tasi, who signed with the Raiders this offseason through the NFL International Player Pathway Program. The native Australian grew up playing rugby but had never played organized football before joining the team. He initially started out at defensive tackle but flipped to offensive tackle. He is 6-foot-6, 369 pounds, is athletic and moves well. The coaching staff thinks he's a long-term project worth keeping around. 'My favorite guy out there to watch is Laki Tasi,' Pete 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. … I don't know how long it's going to take, but he started from ground zero and he's made a lot of progress so far.' Advertisement Collectively, the offensive line's biggest area in need of improvement is run blocking. That was the primary reason the Raiders had the worst rushing offense in the league last season. The line didn't do a good job of adjusting to former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's zone-based blocking scheme. Kelly also runs a zone-based blocking scheme, but the Raiders are hoping the long-time coordinator and Brennan Carroll can teach it more effectively. 'It's a versatile offense,' Cappa said Thursday. 'At the beginning, that's kind of hard — just learning it all. … We put everything in right away. Right away, we had a full offense going. And the way he calls it is a little different than other people. But it's dynamic, for sure. Once you understand it, it allows you to operate at a high level.' Running back Ashton Jeanty should be a major upgrade, but even someone as talented as him can only be so effective without quality blocking. 'You've got to run the ball to be able to win the game, and that's been impressed on us every single day,' Powers-Johnson said last week. 'I see it as an opportunity to get those numbers up and put a lot of the responsibility on the offensive line.' Of course, protecting Smith will also be pivotal. One of the biggest reasons his play lagged the last couple of seasons with the Seattle Seahawks was that the team was terrible in pass protection. Much like Jeanty, he's a massive upgrade over what they had at his position last year, but he can still be hampered if the line isn't up to snuff. Brennan Carroll spent the last four years as an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Arizona and Washington, but this is his first time being an O-line coach at the NFL level. He has kept his approach simple. Pads aren't allowed in OTAs, so much of the focus has been on installing the system, sharpening fundamentals and establishing an identity for the room. 'We want to be the attitude of the offense. We want to be reliable and trustworthy,' Brennan Carroll said last month. 'The group's been fantastic. It's a group that really works well together.' Here are some other observations from practice on Thursday, the final session of mandatory minicamp. • The defense maintained its advantage over the offense at practice Thursday. The play of the day came during 11-on-11 drills when Smith had a pass deflected at the line of scrimmage and picked off by defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, who was working with the second-team defense. Smith got some revenge toward the end of practice with a nice throw to receiver Tre Tucker for a touchdown. Overall, though, the defense outplayed the offense through mandatory minicamp. Advertisement • The Raiders agreed to terms with linebacker Germaine Pratt on Wednesday, but he wasn't officially signed in time to practice Thursday. His first opportunity to practice with the team will come in training camp. 'He's a really hard-nosed kid,' Carroll said. 'We've been really pleased with Elandon (Roberts). He did a great job of taking over the leadership position and calling everything. And Devin (White) has done a really nice job, too. To put these three guys together … that's a loaded-up group. They're all tough, they're all physical and they're all downhill players, which is the style that we love to play with.' • In addition to defensive tackle Christian Wilkins (foot), Parham and receiver Alex Bachman didn't practice Thursday. They were present but didn't participate in any drills. • The vibes were high at team headquarters throughout OTAs, with the coaching staff and players meshing together quickly. That's not a surprise given Carroll's track record of instilling a positive culture at both USC and with the Seahawks, but it's a welcome development for those involved given the constant turnover within the franchise in recent years. 'We expect them to be on every day,' Carroll said. 'And then the coaches have to make sure we drive the energy. And so, if I'm expecting that, then I've got to do that, too. … They have embraced it.' The Raiders will reconvene for training camp in late July. They'll hold the entirety of camp in Henderson, Nev., despite Carroll previously stating an intent to move camp to Napa, California. 'These next six weeks are huge,' Carroll said. 'These guys have come back in great shape. I challenged every one of them to be in the best shape of their life. If they want to make the most of this opportunity, they need to go with that thought. … We'll see what happens when we return.' (Photo of Jackson Powers-Johnson: Candice Ward / Imagn Images)
USA Today
06-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alex Cappa has found a new home but not in Tampa Bay with the Bucs
Alex Cappa has found a new home but not in Tampa Bay with the Bucs Raiders are signing former Bengals guard Alex Cappa to a two-year, $11.2 million deal that includes $5.5 million fully guaranteed at signing. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2025 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Alex Cappa in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft and had him on their team from 2018 to 2021. He played a big part in helping the offensive line allow a league-low 23 sacks in 2021. Of course, in 2020, Cappa started all 16 games at right guard and helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV. While Bucs fans will remember him for their Super Bowl run and being a consistent presence along the offensive line, he is now ready to show that consistency to another team in 2025. Cappa signed with the Bengals in 2022 and played 50 games for the team at the right guard position. On Wednesday, Cappa signed with the Raiders after being released by Cincinnati earlier in the week. Cappa heads to Las Vegas now with hopes of being apart of an already decent offensive line for the AFC West team. The Raiders have been connected to either a quarterback or running back with their sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, either one will not benefit from Cappa and his work.
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Raiders add former starting Super Bowl guard ahead of free agency
Raiders add former starting Super Bowl guard ahead of free agency The Las Vegas Raiders are jumping into free agency early, inking former Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Alex Cappa, the team announced on Wednesday. Cappa, 30, was released by the Bengals on Monday ahead of the final year of a four-year contract that he signed before the 2022 NFL season. Cappa was brought in as a piece to stabilize the Bengals' offensive line following a Super Bowl LVI loss against the Los Angeles Rams. The Humboldt State alum suffered an injury in Week 18 of the 2022 season and his production slipped from there. According to ESPN's Next Gen Stats, Cappa ranked 60th out of 62 players in pass block win rate as a guard in 2023. Then, during this recent 2024 season, Cappa ranked last among 64 qualifying players in the same statistic. Cappa's 2024 offensive grade was a meager 50.5 and his pass blocking grade was 39.7 per Pro Football Focus. The 6-foot-6, 310 pound offensive lineman allowed 51 pressures and eight sacks during the 2024 campaign. If the Raiders are bringing Cappa in as a buy-low depth piece, then this could be a high reward situation for Las Vegas. New Raiders general manager John Spytek previously served as Tampa Bay's director of player personnel from 2016-20 before ascending to become the Bucs' assistant general manager each of the past two seasons. Cappa has a Spytek connection as it was the Buccaneers who originally drafted Cappa with the No. 94 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Cappa was the starting right guard for Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in 2020 when they went on to become Super Bowl LV champions, defeating Kansas City, 31-9.
