Las Vegas Raiders have to nail offseason to have shot in AFC
The Las Vegas Raiders play in a city where many depend onluck. Unfortunately, they have only a little at the moment.
Nobody is envious of the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s been a long time since they were a true contender to win the Super Bowl. In fact, it was two cities ago when the Raiders last won it all, doing so in the 1983 season while calling Los Angeles home. Since then, the franchise has largely been an afterthought. The last playoff win? The 2002 AFC Championship Game.
Now, after an 8-8 campaign, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden must forge a path forward. With no current cap space, the Raiders have to both be creative in free agency and successfully navigate the draft, the latter being something the organization hasn’t done in recent years despite a hoard of first-round choices.
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Over the past five drafts, only running back Josh Jacobs has seen a single Pro Bowl, while Khalil Mack was the last Raiders’ pick to be named First-Team All-Pro. Under Mayock’s guidance, Las Vegas has picked some high-upside kids such as safety Johnathan Abram, cornerback Damon Arnette and edge rusher Clelin Ferrell in the first round. While we have to wait years before duding those selections, the early returns have been mixed.
Stuck in the AFC West with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders don’t have the luxury of being a 10-6 division winner. To make any real noise in the AFC is to somehow topple Kansas City, and that means building a phenomenal defense or an offense which can realistically outplay Mahomes and the Chiefs on a semi-regular basis.
While Derek Carr is an above-average quarterback, that likely means a defensive overhaul. Without a litany of space, Mayock may have a few moves in him before the draft. Considering the incoming rookie class is loaded with cornerbacks, perhaps focusing on the front seven in free agency would be wise.
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After spending on Cory Littleton and Nick Kwitowski last offseason, Mayock could fortify the front wall with names like Denico Autry and Justin Houston from the Indianapolis Colts, Yannick Ngakoue and/or Matt Judon from the Baltimore Ravens, Romeo Okwara of the Detroit Lions and many more. Any of those pass-rushers would be a great compliment to Maxx Crosby, the best pick of the Mayock regime.
It won’t be easy getting to the top of the AFC West, let alone the conference, any time soon. But if the Raiders are going to do it, they have little time to waste.
