HENDERSON, Nev. -- For Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, part of establishing a culture is laying down the foundational pieces.
Las Vegas did so when it gave defensive end Maxx Crosby a long-term extension. Shortly after making Crosby one of the highest paid non-quarterbacks in league history, the Raiders traded for Geno Smith and eventually gave him a two-year extension to secure their franchise signal caller.
"Getting Maxx signed for a long term to show commitment to one of the great competitors in the game was one step of it," Carroll said. "And getting Geno was a step on the other side of the ball to make it clear we're not sitting around and waiting to see what happens and hope things will turn out.
"We're going to be about that mentality, and that is what creating your culture is. It's making statements of who you are on a regular basis."
Following Crosby and Smith securing lucrative deals, who could be the next Raider to get a big payday?
Among a short list of names that makes sense is wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. With the 28-year-old coming off a career season and the Raiders being fairly thin at wide receiver, a long-term deal would lock down a reliable pass catcher for the foreseeable future.
He is entering the final year of a three-year, $33 million deal that he signed in 2023, and has a cap hit of $14.98 million in 2025. However, Meyers doesn't have any guaranteed money remaining on his contract.
Meyers is open to getting a new deal done because he would like to be a Raider for the long term, according to a source with direct knowledge.
During the league annual meetings, Raiders general manager John Spytek shed light on his approach to dealing with players entering a contract year like Meyers and starting left tackle Kolton Miller, who has a cap hit of $15.68 million and no guaranteed money.
"You see it every year. Guys get to the end of their deal and it gets more expensive," Spytek said. "Guys that you want to do a deal [with], and it makes sense, then you do it."
Spytek added those decisions happen on a case-by-case basis and that sometimes the best thing is to let players go into free agency to see their true value.
At the moment, Spytek is still in the process of evaluating players and how they fit in the big picture of the organization.
"I'm big into knowing the person before throwing out huge contracts," Spytek said. "It will take some time, but I'm looking forward to getting to know all the guys on the roster and figure out the right way to build it."
Meyers, who spent his first four years in New England, has leverage. The team views Meyers as a key player on the roster, and rightfully so. After recording at least 800 yards in three straight seasons, Meyers watched his production spike in 2024.
In 15 games, Meyers caught 87 passes for a career-best 1,027 yards and four touchdowns. He had three games with 100-plus yards, and only dropped one pass on 128 targets. Meyers also had 52 catches resulting in a first down, tied for 18th in the league.
Meyers has proven to be a productive player for the Raiders despite constant turnover at quarterback and the coaching staff. Meyers has caught passes from six starting quarterbacks while playing for two head coaches and four offensive coordinators.
Under the Raiders' new regime there's a sense of stability, which is something Meyers and other returning players haven't had. Also, playing with an accurate quarterback like Smith, who has a completion rate of 68.5% over the last three seasons, could lead to another big season for Meyers and further increase his value.
Meyers wants to show that he can be a No. 1 wideout. With Smith under center, he will have an opportunity to do so.
"We're so excited about getting the chance to work together," Smith said during a news conference on Monday. "I followed him from New England to here and always thought he was a really good receiver."
Figuring out Meyers' future will be part of constructing a wide receiver room that helps maximize the time Las Vegas has with Smith. Outside of Meyers and Tre Tucker, the Raiders don't have a wide receiver that recorded at least 100 yards in 2024.
While the Raiders like what they have in Meyers, Tucker and Brock Bowers, who led all tight ends in receiving yards (1,194) as a rookie, they will continue to explore the free agent market and this month's draft to add more pass catching help.
"One of the things we got really good at in Tampa [Bay] was finding receivers all over the place," said Spytek, the former Buccaneers assistant general manager. "We want to have an explosive playmaker out there, and if we can find one, we'll do it."