Raiders Rumors: Latest Buzz on Jason Witten's Contract, Jalen Hurts, Tom Brady

The Las Vegas Raiders always knew this would be an eventful offseason given their relocation to Sin City, but the scenery change quickly took a backseat to all the other activity.

They were an often-mentioned suitor of Tom Brady. While they didn't land him (for reasons we'll get to later), they did ink deals with some notable names, whose contracts suggest they'll factor into the team's 2020 plans.

Plus, the Raiders still have another batch of draft picks to make and it sounds like they're fans of a passing prospect, though his skyrocketing stock could complicate the pursuit.

Let's break down all the latest buzz below.

Jason Witten will be on next season's roster

The Raiders suddenly have one of the league's most crowded tight end rooms.

They had three—Darren Waller, Foster Moreau and Derek Carrier—before inking veteran Jason Witten to a one-year deal. Then, the congestion thickened over the weekend with the arrival of Nick O'Leary.

That makes it a bit tricky to decipher which of these players will survive the roster cuts, but that's not a worry with Witten.

As The MMQB's Albert Breer noted, nearly all of the 37-year-old's $4 million salary is guaranteed, which effectively guarantees his 2020 roster spot:

The Raiders wouldn't have spent this big on Witten unless they were convinced he could earn it, and maybe they're right. The veteran enjoyed another productive campaign in 2019, catching 63 passes for 529 yards and four touchdowns. His 75.9 catch percentage was the highest of his 16-year career.

He could prove invaluable alongside Waller, who broke out in a massive way with 90 receptions for 1,145 yards and three scores last season. Witten could both take on a mentoring role for the young tight end and keep opposing defenses from overcrowding the 27-year-old pass-catcher.

Raiders like Jalen Hurts, but he might be too costly

The Raiders stopped short of overhauling their quarterback room, but they did push incumbent starter Derek Carr with the addition of Marcus Mariota.

The second overall pick in 2015, Mariota passed for more than 13,000 yards and rushed for another 1,399 yards over five seasons with the Tennessee Titans.

The competition could increase at the draft, too, if the Raiders have their way.

They "definitely like" Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur.

The 21-year-old turned heads in a good way at the combine, and that could work against Las Vegas. As Tafur put it, "he went from a fourth-round to a second-round projection, and the Raiders have three third-round picks but none in the second."

Do they like Hurts enough to package some of those later picks to move into the second? Would it make sense trading back from No. 19, since that's their second selection of the opening round?

Only their decision-makers have these answers. But if they really want Hurts to join their quarterback crop, waiting and hoping he drops into the third round probably won't get it done.

Raiders considered Tom Brady but weren't going to pay what he received

When Brady hit the open market, the Raiders were "sniffing around" the future Hall of Famer, but they didn't think he was worth the money he ultimately secured from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Tafur:

"While it is true they never made him an offer, some ballpark numbers were made known to him at some point. The Raiders weren't going to go as high as the guaranteed $25 million per year for two years that the Bucs gave the 42-year-old quarterback—the game film the last two years just didn't warrant that in the Raiders' minds."

Maybe that wouldn't have mattered, as Tafur added "it was more about fit than money for Brady, and the Raiders never got that nod from Brady that they were a serious finalist." Had that happened, "they would have started shopping Carr."

Granted, this won't go down as the wildest "what if..." in NFL history, but it's still a fun one. The Brady-Jon Gruden connection would have been fascinating, and it could have been interesting to see what the trade market would have been like for Carr.