Las Vegas Raiders sign Dareke Young

Dareke Young's one-year, $1.8M signing earns a D Contract Value Index (CVI) — a deal that reflects low-cost depth allocation rather than confidence in immediate impact. At the veteran minimum tier, this is replacement-level compensation for a wide receiver joining a 3-14 team in the midst of a reset; the Raiders are clearly treating this as a low-risk roster addition, not a playmaker acquisition. The $1.8M total value ties Young to a non-guaranteed, easily-movable contract that carries zero dead-cap burden, giving Las Vegas complete roster flexibility if he doesn't survive camp or contribute on gameday. For Young himself, this is a prove-it pact during the offseason phase — the type of deal reserved for depth pieces hoping to carve out a role on the practice squad or special teams, with minimal guaranteed money to work backward from. The CVI grade reflects the transactional reality: short-term, low-cost, low-upside structure with no meaningful financial commitment from the team. This is organizational prudence, not a vote of confidence in his NFL standing.