Las Vegas Raiders: Offseason Wants, Needs & Preview

[Finished 8-8 Overall]

Last season, the Raiders got off to a red hot start with a record of 6-3 but finished the season at a meager 8-8. Truthfully, inadequate has been the story of the Raiders over the last 20 years. The team has simply not impressed. The Raiders have finished at or below .500 in 17 of the last 20 seasons. They have just four playoff appearances since 2000, one of which did include a trip to the Super Bowl, where they lost. Of those four playoff appearances, three were from 2000-2002. This means the Raiders have just 1 playoff appearance over the last 18 seasons. Entering his third season as head coach of the Raiders, John Gruden needs 2021 to be the year he brings this franchise back to the playoffs.

The offense wasn’t the problem, the team averaged 27 points per game. However, defensively, this team was a disaster, allowing 29 points per game. The Raiders had no pass rush, accounting for just 28 sacks on the season. Blown coverage, missed tackles, and failing to stop opponents on third down was a recipe for disaster. The Raiders did beat the Chiefs and Saints, but could not defeat many teams under .500.

Offensive Needs

Hot and cold is one way to describe HC John Gruden's relationship with his signal-caller. It appears that Derek Carr will remain under center for this team and they will look to trade away QB Marcus Mariota. Carr has been inconsistent but has posted nice numbers on primetime and in come-from-behind mode. Raiders fans want to see more games where he balls out as he did against the Chiefs, but there have been few of those games on the record. The offensive line is built to establish the running game. Carr is more often than not, left hung out to dry in the pressure department.

At wide receiver, many thought that Henry Ruggs III would be the speedy deep threat that QB Derek Carr needed to help rid the Checkdown Charlie stereotype. Despite the offensive success, the Raiders failed to capitalize on the speedster's tremendous upside. The Raiders went dumpster diving to find WR Nelson Agholor. Philly took out the trash, but the Raiders found a diamond in the rough. The same receiver who couldn't catch a breath of fresh air in Philadelphia went on to catch 48 passes for 896 yards and eight touchdowns with his new team. He also averaged 18.7 yards per catch. Agholor had a career year, to say the least, and is now a free agent. The Raiders would be foolish not to bring him back. With Agholor on the field, it would give the team time to develop Ruggs, and find unique ways to incorporate him into the offense. WR Hunter Renfrow is a decent slot receiver, and WR Bryan Edwards was banged up all season, leaving us yet to witness his full potential. Beat reporters expected Edwards to redshirt and sit out 2020, but his run-blocking skills played a vital role in the Raiders' rushing success.

Speaking of rushing success, Josh Jacobs is clearly a DFS player to target in positive game flow situations. Basically, when the Raiders are playing from ahead, Jacobs does well. Think back to Week 1 when he faced the Panthers with a weak rush defense. In scenarios like that, he will get 100+ yards and multiple touchdowns. However, when the Raiders are playing from behind, or in a negative game script, he has a difficult time reaching his price point. He failed to catch more than 5 passes in a game when just 3 to 4 would help his fantasy upside tremendously.

TE Darren Waller has overcome a ton of obstacles in his personal life and has become one of the top 5 tight ends in the NFL. Waller remains a huge red-zone target, and a candidate to reach 100 yards anytime he steps on the football field. Operating as the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver, Waller set career highs in all categories (107-1, 196-9 on 145 targets) while cruising, with ease, to a TE2 overall finish. Las Vegas doesn’t have a target hog at receiver on the roster yet, and Waller is certainly in his prime at 29 years young with little early career tread on his tires. A top-3 tight end ranking in 2021 is almost a certainty.

In 2019, OT Trent Brown signed a huge $35M contract, but this offseason he was traded to the Patriots. Brown has been a disappointment for the Raiders. Following an all-pro performance during his time with the Patriots, he has missed 16 games in two seasons with the Raiders. Brown was shipped back to New England for a 7th round pick, mostly for salary relief.

Defensive Needs

Gus Bradley is the newly hired defensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders. Bradley has already demanded three "non-negotiables" of his new defense in Vegas: be fast, be physical, and find a way to get the ball. He has to get lucky for all 3 of these components to happen since the Raiders have struggled mightily in that department. Bradley, who is most notable for his stint with the Seattle Seahawks, has plenty of experience building young defenses from the ground up. He's coached the Los Angeles Chargers and Seattle Seahawks to top-five defenses and numerous playoff appearances with him as coordinator. Bradley also has head coaching experience with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he developed one of the most exceptional defenses in the NFL.

The Raiders have nailed late-round picks throughout Mike Mayock's tenure as general manager but whiffed on some early-round picks. For years, pass rushers and cornerbacks have been obvious needs for this franchise, yet they have failed to hit the nail on the head with these early picks. CB Damon Arnette, a 24-year-old rookie, allowed 11.8 yards per target as a first-rounder. CB Trayvon Mullen, a 2019 second-round pick, was PFF’s No. 89 corner out of 139 qualifiers. Perhaps playing more deep zone in cover-3 will unlock Arnette, who played a ton of it at Ohio State. The Raiders released slot CB Lamarcus Joyner who cleared $8.7M in cap savings.

S Jonathan Abrams is one of the few exceptions to the general rule that the Raiders whiff on early-round picks. That man is a beast, but he can use some help in the free safety department. Playing in the AFC West, defensive units must focus on shutting down tight ends over the middle of the field, specifically Travis Kelce and Noah Fant. These players have exposed the safety and linebacker units on this defense. This is definitely a need the Raiders should look to address through free agency or the draft.

Too Long Didn't Read Version

While the Raiders compete in an increasingly difficult division, they do have talent. They need to make it a priority to really buckle down and hit on free agency and draft picks. While Super Bowl aspirations look distant, a playoff berth is certainly achievable. This team can make a jump in 2021, but they need to make a few key moves to improve those chances.