The 2019 NFL Offseason has certainly been kinder to the Oakland Raiders and their fans than the previous year. Armed with three 1st round draft picks and a slew of new additions, the Silver and Black are filled with optimism for their coming season. After the pain of last years offseason, which saw many fan-favorites jettisoned and culminated in the mega-trade of superstar Khalil Mack, many feel the Raiders have made moves to return to a competitive position.
Following his acrimonious exit from Pittsburgh, most thought a trade for Antonio Brown would cost suitors a minimum of a 1st round pick. Instead, the Raiders sent only 3rd and 5th round selections to acquire Brown. Additionally, they tore up his contract and signed him to a new three year deal that includes a reported $30m in guaranteed money. The move was viewed by many as a steal for the Raiders. Since joining the Raiders, Brown has been enthusiastic on social media. He's also found a new best friend in QB Derek Carr - and the duo have reportedly been working out together nearly every day since Brown's arrival.
Brown essentially replaces Amari Cooper, who was traded to Dallas midway through the season for another 1st round pick. Cooper came on strong for the Cowboys and looked reenergized after the trade. It never seemed that Cooper developed the kind of chemistry that the team was looking for with Derek Carr, as he would often disappear in games and go untargeted. His drops were also well documented.
Williams, who has served as a deep-threat for Phillip Rivers, was signed to a 4-year, $44 million contract. He looks to replace Martavis Bryant, another Steelers stalwart whom the Raiders traded for last season, as the over-the-top guy in Gruden's offense.
Another addition at the position was former Arizona Cardinal JJ Nelson. Nelson has started in 15 games for the Cardinals in the past four years, and has served as a role player. Veteran WR Seth Roberts is also on the roster, as is last years' 7th round draft choice Marcell Ateman. It can be argued that Roberts has some chemistry with Carr, but it is unclear if he will be another cap casualty for the team. For his part, Ateman started 6 games for the Raiders at the end of their season but only managed a grand total of 15 receptions.
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Running Back:
The situation at running back is a bit murky for the Raiders. Jalen Richard returns for a fourth season - but he hasn't shown that he can be anything more than a third-down back or a passing option out of the backfield. DeAndre Washington is under contract, but his position is far from secure after fumble problems and ineffectiveness have haunted his career so far in Oakland. The team also stashed former Texas running back Chris Warren on the injured reserve list before last season, and it would seem he will be given an opportunity again in training camp.
The Raiders signed RB Isaiah Crowell, who last played for the New York Jets. Last year Crowell tallied 143 carries for 685 yards, finishing with a respectable 4.8 yards per attempt. In New York, Crowell often saw his carries split with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire as part of a committee. Will Crowell claim the lion's share of the carries in Oakland? He replaces Doug Martin on the roster.
It would also be prudent to mention Marshawn Lynch in this space. It seems that both sides are receptive to a return for the teams' last year in Oakland - but with Lynch you never really know. Whether Lynch returns or not, it seems the team will be splitting carries among many options.
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Offensive Line:
For years a strength of the team, the Raiders enter 2019 without two of their most recognizable faces along the OL. Former All-Pro Kelechi Osemele was traded to the Jets for a 5th round pick (and salary cap relief) and it has been announced that former Pro Bowler Donald Penn will not return to the team.
In this series, I will review the many changes that the Oakland Raiders have made. In this part, I will look at the additions that the team has made on offense and in the front office.
Front Office:
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| Mayock at his introductory press conference |
The biggest "non-player" addition to the Raiders has undoubtedly been Mike Mayock. Mayock, who for years featured on NFL Network as a Draft Analyst, replaces Reggie McKenzie in the position. For McKenzie's part, he built the previous iteration of the Raiders - a team that went 12-4 and made the playoffs in 2016 but in 2017 fell apart at the seams and never recovered. Following the death of Al Davis, McKenzie was appointed by new owner Mark Davis and did a respectable job pulling the team out of salary cap hell and scoring big in the 2014 NFL Draft by landing Khalil Mack and starting QB Derek Carr.
But with hiring of Jon Gruden as the teams head coach in 2018, the writing was on the wall for McKenzie. He was relieved of his position near the end of the Raiders season.
Gruden hired Mayock with an eye towards the NFL Draft, where the team will have plenty of ammunition in the form of FIVE first round picks in the next two years. And while the NFL Draft isn't until later this month, Mayock and Gruden have already completed a blockbuster trade for WR Antonio Brown (more on that later) and signed big-name free agents in an attempt to overhaul the offense.
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Wide Receivers:
The crown jewel of the Raiders offseason to this point has been the trade for disgruntled Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown. For years Brown has been one of the top receivers in the game. Just take a look at his stats for the Steelers:
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| Antonio Brown for the Pittsburgh Steelers |
Brown has recorded at least 100 receptions in the past five seasons. Following a year that saw the Raiders passing game heavily rely on veteran Jordy Nelson (now retired) and TE Jared Cook (reported to be signing with Saints), the position was clearly in need of an overhaul. Adding a proven player like Brown makes all the sense in the world.
Brown essentially replaces Amari Cooper, who was traded to Dallas midway through the season for another 1st round pick. Cooper came on strong for the Cowboys and looked reenergized after the trade. It never seemed that Cooper developed the kind of chemistry that the team was looking for with Derek Carr, as he would often disappear in games and go untargeted. His drops were also well documented.
Lining up opposite of Antonio Brown will be another new free agent: Tyrell Williams formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers.
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| Tyrell Williams for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers |
Another addition at the position was former Arizona Cardinal JJ Nelson. Nelson has started in 15 games for the Cardinals in the past four years, and has served as a role player. Veteran WR Seth Roberts is also on the roster, as is last years' 7th round draft choice Marcell Ateman. It can be argued that Roberts has some chemistry with Carr, but it is unclear if he will be another cap casualty for the team. For his part, Ateman started 6 games for the Raiders at the end of their season but only managed a grand total of 15 receptions.
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Running Back:
The situation at running back is a bit murky for the Raiders. Jalen Richard returns for a fourth season - but he hasn't shown that he can be anything more than a third-down back or a passing option out of the backfield. DeAndre Washington is under contract, but his position is far from secure after fumble problems and ineffectiveness have haunted his career so far in Oakland. The team also stashed former Texas running back Chris Warren on the injured reserve list before last season, and it would seem he will be given an opportunity again in training camp.
The Raiders signed RB Isaiah Crowell, who last played for the New York Jets. Last year Crowell tallied 143 carries for 685 yards, finishing with a respectable 4.8 yards per attempt. In New York, Crowell often saw his carries split with Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire as part of a committee. Will Crowell claim the lion's share of the carries in Oakland? He replaces Doug Martin on the roster.
It would also be prudent to mention Marshawn Lynch in this space. It seems that both sides are receptive to a return for the teams' last year in Oakland - but with Lynch you never really know. Whether Lynch returns or not, it seems the team will be splitting carries among many options.
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Offensive Line:
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| Kolton Miller struggled after a knee injury in 2018 |
The big addition to the unit was the signing of free agent Trent Brown. Brown was handed a four year, $66 million deal. The Raiders were undoubtedly impressed by Brown's postseason run with the New England Patriots, where he performed well against pass-rushers from AFC West rivals Chiefs and Chargers. Conventional wisdom maintains that such a high contract for Brown means that he will be the teams' left tackle in 2019, but Gruden and Mayock have been coy about whether he would start on the right side - where he often lined up for the 49ers before being traded to New England.
As a unit, the Raiders OL struggled heavily in 2018. 1st round pick Kolton Miller was drafted to initially start at right tackle but after an injury to Donald Penn was moved to the protect Derek Carr's blindside. The results were not great. Miller played well for his first few starts, but struggled after suffering a knee injury. He allowed a league high 16 sacks. Fellow rookie Brandon Parker also started 12 games at right tackle, but was equally ineffective and found himself benched. Miller will line up opposite Trent Brown in 2019, very likely as the right tackle. Parker's role going forward is unclear. Some rumors have him beefing up to potentially move to guard while others predict he will be the teams' swing tackle.
Former All Pro Rodney Hudson returns at Center. Gabe Jackson, who moved to right guard after the team signed Osemele, looks to move back over to the left side. Denzelle Good started 4 games at RG for the Raiders and was re-signed.
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Tight End:
Perhaps the biggest loss for the Raiders in free agency was TE Jared Cook, who had a career year and was Derek Carr's favorite target in 2018. Cook snagged 101 catches for nearly 900 yards and was a mismatch against most teams. He served as Carr's safety blanket for most of the year. Gruden described the loss of Cook as "sickening".
In his place, the team has a number of options - but none with the talent of Cook. The Raiders signed Luke Wilson who last played for Detroit, in free agency, but who has never really been an impact player.
Gruden has stated that the team will give TE Darren Waller "the chance of a lifetime" this year. The team also has blocking tight ends Lee Smith and Derek Carrier on the roster.
Tight End is certainly an area the team will look to add to in the coming draft.
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Quarterback:
Not much has changed for the Raiders at QB...yet. Derek Carr returns for his 6th season in Silver & Black after amassing a career high in passing yards last season. With brand new weapons at wide receiver and another year in Gruden's system, a lot will be expected of Carr.
The team also signed veteran Mike Glennon to be Carr's backup. Glennon served in a similar capacity last year to Arizona's Josh Rosen and before that, to Chicago's Mitch Trubisky. He looks to be an upgrade over AJ McCarron, who the Raiders traded for last year but only threw 3 passes for the team. Landry Jones was also signed to compete for a roster spot and (the infamous) Nathan Peterman signed a future contract at the end of last season.
The elephant in the room concerns the upcoming NFL Draft and big names like Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins. Oakland has worked out both QBs in recent weeks. Could Gruden be tempted by either with the team's fourth overall choice? A trade of Derek Carr certainly cannot be ruled out after Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper were similarly dealt. But this time of year is full of smokescreens and bluffs, and it is possible that the Raiders are simply doing their due diligence on quarterbacks as any team should. We shall see come later this month.
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first part of this series. In the next part, I will examine the additions that the Raiders have made on defense and special teams. Also be on the lookout for my Mock Draft, that I will post as the real NFL Draft approaches.
As a unit, the Raiders OL struggled heavily in 2018. 1st round pick Kolton Miller was drafted to initially start at right tackle but after an injury to Donald Penn was moved to the protect Derek Carr's blindside. The results were not great. Miller played well for his first few starts, but struggled after suffering a knee injury. He allowed a league high 16 sacks. Fellow rookie Brandon Parker also started 12 games at right tackle, but was equally ineffective and found himself benched. Miller will line up opposite Trent Brown in 2019, very likely as the right tackle. Parker's role going forward is unclear. Some rumors have him beefing up to potentially move to guard while others predict he will be the teams' swing tackle.
Former All Pro Rodney Hudson returns at Center. Gabe Jackson, who moved to right guard after the team signed Osemele, looks to move back over to the left side. Denzelle Good started 4 games at RG for the Raiders and was re-signed.
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Tight End:
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| Jared Cook's production will be missed in 2019 |
In his place, the team has a number of options - but none with the talent of Cook. The Raiders signed Luke Wilson who last played for Detroit, in free agency, but who has never really been an impact player.
Gruden has stated that the team will give TE Darren Waller "the chance of a lifetime" this year. The team also has blocking tight ends Lee Smith and Derek Carrier on the roster.
Tight End is certainly an area the team will look to add to in the coming draft.
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Quarterback:
Not much has changed for the Raiders at QB...yet. Derek Carr returns for his 6th season in Silver & Black after amassing a career high in passing yards last season. With brand new weapons at wide receiver and another year in Gruden's system, a lot will be expected of Carr.
The team also signed veteran Mike Glennon to be Carr's backup. Glennon served in a similar capacity last year to Arizona's Josh Rosen and before that, to Chicago's Mitch Trubisky. He looks to be an upgrade over AJ McCarron, who the Raiders traded for last year but only threw 3 passes for the team. Landry Jones was also signed to compete for a roster spot and (the infamous) Nathan Peterman signed a future contract at the end of last season.
The elephant in the room concerns the upcoming NFL Draft and big names like Kyler Murray and Dwayne Haskins. Oakland has worked out both QBs in recent weeks. Could Gruden be tempted by either with the team's fourth overall choice? A trade of Derek Carr certainly cannot be ruled out after Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper were similarly dealt. But this time of year is full of smokescreens and bluffs, and it is possible that the Raiders are simply doing their due diligence on quarterbacks as any team should. We shall see come later this month.
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first part of this series. In the next part, I will examine the additions that the Raiders have made on defense and special teams. Also be on the lookout for my Mock Draft, that I will post as the real NFL Draft approaches.
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