This may sound a little optimistic, especially knowing that the Raiders have had eleven consecutive non-winning seasons (last winning record was 11-5 in 2002), but Raiders fans can start to feel excited about the future. It appears the Raiders finally have a plan.
The Reggie McKenzie/Dennis Allen era certainly got off to a rocky start. Three years ago, they hired Greg Knapp and installed the zone blocking scheme. Their highest draft pick that year was third round zone blocking specialist Tony Bergstrom, who is now fighting for a roster spot. Darren McFadden, arguably their most valuable weapon, was found to be unsuitable for the zone blocking style. Luckily, this resulted in just ‘one’ wasted season as Reggie and company quickly realized their mistake.
Back to the power blocking scheme with the hiring of Greg Olson in year two. This is the good news. The bad news was some questionable decisions like drafting D.J. Hayden in the first round. His injury history is well-documented, but trading back when they badly needed playmakers, passing on talented players like Shariff Floyd, and only receiving a second round pick for moving back still seems like wasted opportunities. The Raiders rebounded slightly with the drafting of offensive tackle Menelik Watson and linebacker Sio Moore in rounds 2 and 3, respectively, and what appeared at the time to be their ‘quarterback of the future’ in Tyler Wilson in round four. Some other late-round picks actually contributed last year (tight end Mychal Rivera and defensive tackle Stacy McGee). This bodes well for future years. They made some strides in free agency, especially considering how cash strapped they were, with the signings of middle linebacker Nick Roach, run stuffing defensive tackle Pat Sims, and the return of free safety Charles Woodson. Unfortunately for Raider fans, their record failed to improve as they posted the same 4-12 record as the previous year.
Let’s focus now on what has transpired so far this year. Losing talented youngsters in offensive tackle Jared Veldheer and defensive end Lamarr Houston was a rough start. Veldheer was coming off an injury though and some experts consider Houston to be a tweener, as he might be too light to play defensive tackle and too short to play defensive end. It sounds like Reggie wanted them back, just not at their price. Then came the Roger Saffold debacle and the confusion regarding his failed physical. Draft weekend is when the tables turned. The Raiders had a full complement of draft picks and used them wisely. They needed a playmaker and got one in linebacker Khalil Mack, who should be the defensive identity they need for years to come. They got their new ‘quarterback of the future’ in Derek Carr. Carr fits the mold both physically and mentally for what this regime is looking for and could possibly end the never-ending search ranging from JaMarcus Russell to Matt Flynn. Gabe Jackson and Justin (Jelly) Ellis are going to improve their physicality in the trenches. Signing successful veterans to cap-friendly deals such as Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, Tarell Brown, Donald Penn, and James Jones were key not only to replace players who left, but also to bring more talent and experience to a team lacking in both. Trading for Matt Schaub was definitely worth the risk as prior to last year Schaub had five consecutive seasons with a 90-plus quarterback rating and he made the Pro Bowl as recently as the 2012-2013 season. In fact, this may be the strongest stable of quarterbacks the Raiders have ever had from 1-3 in Schaub, Carr, and Matt McGloin. They Raiders still have faith that D.J. Hayden can quickly contribute and Menelik Watson seems to be progressing well in his second year. News from Raiders training camp is that they are light years ahead of last year.
The Raiders record may not improve this year as they have the toughest schedule in the NFL, but Mark Davis himself has stated that he only needs to see improvement to keep the ever important ‘franchise stability’ by retaining both McKenzie and Allen. Raiders’ fans, however, can finally be excited to see the team pointed in the right direction. If improvement is made on the field this year and Reggie puts together two solid drafts in a row and wisely spends his free agent dollars, then the Raiders will be challenging for the AFC West title for years to come.
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