The Raiders are bracing for a flurry of activity when the NFL’s two-day legal tampering period begins at 9 a.m. Monday.

The date marks the time when teams and free agents can begin negotiating contracts. No deals can become official until the new league year begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday, but that won’t stop clubs from reaching handshake agreements with some of their key targets.

The Raiders should be able to make some significant moves even after giving defensive end Maxx Crosby a contract extension and trading for veteran quarterback Geno Smith.

The team has about $50.99 million in cap space entering free agency. That’s the 14th-most in the NFL, according to the website Over The Cap. The Raiders could gain even more flexibility if they, as expected, negotiate an extension with Smith that lowers his 2025 cap hit.

That gives new coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek the ability to add several pieces to a roster that finished 4-13 last season.

What’s next?

Smith, 34, is a huge upgrade for the Raiders.

The website Pro Football Focus ranked him as the NFL’s ninth-best quarterback last season. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, the Raiders’ two primary starters, were 36th and 37th, respectively.

Minshew is expected to be released Wednesday unless another team is willing to trade for him. O’Connell will remain on the roster for now, but the Raiders could look to move him if they select a quarterback in April’s draft.

Adding Smith allows the team to focus on other things this week. That includes their 17 pending free agents, a group that includes safety Tre’von Moehrig, linebacker Robert Spillane, defensive end Malcolm Koonce and cornerback Nate Hobbs.

The Raiders can re-sign any of those players before 9 a.m. Monday and prevent them from talking to other teams. But they’re at risk of losing several of them with the market so close to opening.

Moehrig, Spillane and Koonce feel like the Raiders’ main priorities.

Potential outside additions

The Raiders are expected to be aggressive to bring in outside help in free agency. Cornerback and wide receiver are two areas of focus for the team.

Cornerback targets for the Raiders include D.J. Reed, Carlton Davis and Byron Murphy Jr. Reed played for Carroll in Seattle and Davis was drafted by the Buccaneers when Spytek was in the team’s front office.

Chris Godwin, who also played for Spytek in Tampa Bay, makes sense as a potential wide receiver signing. There will be competition for the 29-year-old even though he’s recovering from a season-ending ankle injury.

Tyler Lockett, another of Carroll’s former Seahawks players, is an option as well. Wide receiver Davante Adams was considered a long shot to return to Las Vegas before taking himself off the market by signing a two-year, $46 million deal with the Rams on Sunday.

The Raiders also could target offensive linemen and running backs in free agency, though they are expected to add at both positions in the draft. Safety and linebacker could move up their list of priorities if Moehrig or Spillane leave.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.