The Las Vegas Raiders concluded their mandatory minicamp Wednesday without new linebacker signing Nakobe Dean ever taking the field. Dean, who signed as a free agent this offseason, did not participate in any organized team activities or minicamp practices.
Assistant coach Mike McCoy confirmed Dean has been around the facility but remains a non-participant. “He’s been here. He’s a pro. This is the offseason. The No. 1 thing is that we’re taking it one day at a time,” McCoy said. “You get through the next couple of days of the minicamp, and then you get through training camp. The key thing is to have everybody as fresh as possible and ready to go for the opener. That’s the No. 1 focus.”
Dean joins former Georgia teammate Quay Walker, another free-agent addition. Walker spoke highly of their connection. “For me, playing with Nakobe, this is a connection that I have with him way before we got to this level,” Walker said. “It is kind of natural, I know what he is thinking. We pick up well off of one another; we feed off of each other really well. I know one day he was in here working out during OTAs, and I picked him up a little bit.”
Dean spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, starting 47 games and recording 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception.
Kicker competition heats up
The Raiders signed veteran kicker Matt Gay in March after parting ways with longtime kicker Daniel Carlson. Gay, 32, played for the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers last season, going 4-for-4 on field goals in two games with the 49ers after a back injury led to his release from Washington.
Undrafted rookie Kansei Matsuzawa, known as “The Tokyo Toe,” has impressed after a standout career at Hawaii where he tied an FBS record with 25 consecutive field goals and became the program’s first consensus All-American. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis noted Gay’s mentorship. “The good thing about having Matt, I’ve been with him before, and Matt’s really helped Special K quite a bit,” DeCamillis said. “He’s done a good job as far as getting him squared away with some of his technique and some of that, which is great for an older guy to be able to do. The competition’s been good. Hopefully, we can get Matt back on the same plane he was on when I had him in LA, and I think Special K is going to be really good down the road, too.”
JPJ returns to full participation
Offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson, who sat out team drills on the first day of minicamp, was a full participant Wednesday. He is expected to start at guard alongside newly signed center Tyler Linderbaum. The Raiders allowed an NFL-worst 64 sacks in 2025.
Crosby still out
Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who previously said he was “close” to returning, remained a non-participant in practice but joined warmups. He has been present throughout OTAs and minicamp.
