Five-Year Pro Center Inks Deal Back with the Raiders
From 2019-2022, five-year pro center Andre James had the pleasure of hiking the ball to four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr. Things changed during the 2023 season, the Las Vegas Raiders traded Carr and signed Jimmy Garoppolo. Seven games into the season, Garoppolo was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Center Andre James would hike the ball to three different quarterbacks last season, as even third-string quarterback Brian Hoyer got some playing time. Even with new Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce bringing new life into the locker room, this team barely missed the playoffs finishing with an 8-9 record. Today, the free agent center just signed a three-year 24 million dollar deal with 18 million being guaranteed back to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Andre James played three seasons of college football with the UCLA Bruins. As a redshirt junior, he decided to play in the Bruins' Week Seven game against Arizona and continue his consecutive games started streak even though his father passed away of cancer earlier that week. The future five-year pro center would forgo his senior year and declare for the NFL Draft. James was not selected during the seven rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he would sign with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent days after the draft. Since starting 12 games his first year in the league, Andre has been the top-tier center for this Raiders squad.
Las Vegas was a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of protecting their quarterbacks. They ranked 14th allowing 40 sacks between their three quarterbacks. The Raiders offensive line was a big reason why Aidan O’Connell was able to produce big numbers during the second half of the season. It’s also a reason why the Raiders got so close to appearing in the NFL Playoffs once again. The five-year pro center has proven himself from his college days to being undrafted, now he’s a crucial part of the Raiders.
