The Raiders’ recent signing of guard Alex Cappa was bound to shake up the offensive line, and it appears as if veteran center Andre James will be the first player affected.
The team is expected to release James at the start of the new league year on Wednesday if it can’t trade him, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
James, an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2019, switched from tackle to center and took over the starting job in 2021. He has made 59 starts in the past four seasons.
Releasing James without a post-June 1 designation will cost the Raiders a $7.283 million cap hit in 2025 and a cash savings of $1.493 million. A post-June 1 designation will mean a $5.66 million cap hit in 2025 and a $1.7 million hit in 2026. They will save $3.2 million in 2025 in that scenario.
Jackson Powers-Johnson is a favorite to replace James at center, but Dylan Parham is a candidate to move from right guard to center.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at [email protected]. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
