The Las Vegas Raiders were big spenders this past offseason and invested heavily in several positions. Unfortunately, all that money has yet to translate into wins.
Under general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden’s leadership, the Raiders went all in this past offseason. They aggressively signed players to fill out their biggest deficiencies without paying much attention to the price tags. It’s definitely a good sign when your team is spending big as it correlates with a win-now mentality.
On the other hand, you can look at all these signings and see that they have not yet translated into wins. Several factors play into this, such as the pandemic which completely altered the offseason and forced the preseason’s cancellation. This is where coaching should be making adjustments while still maximizing what they have in place. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther alluded to the fact the team has many new faces. No matter how you slice it, the Raiders spent big but don’t have a whole lot to show for it.
Related: WR Nelson Agholor Is Team’s Key Free Agent Signing So Far
Spending Has Not Meant Much For Raiders
Josh Dubow of the Associated Press recently pointed out that ten biggest spenders have posted an abysmal 12-26-2 record. In fact, per Over The Cap, the Silver and Black have the seventh-largest payroll at $225.1 million and that amount already includes dead money.
A combined 12-26-2 record and no winning records for the 10 biggest spenders so far https://t.co/xEWzqW7YwN
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 6, 2020
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who joined the Raiders as a free agent, has been the best investment so far. He has totaled eight receptions for 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Most of the other new faces on the Raiders offense, such as wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, came via the draft.
It’s a different story on defense for the 2020 Raiders. The three major signings in the offseason were Cory Littleton, Nick Kwiatkoski, Carl Nassib, and Maliek Collins. The two linebackers were to finally give the Raiders a true linebacking, after years of futility at the position. Meanwhile, Collins was going to provide the missing cog in the defensive line and Nassib was to bring his pass-rushing prowess. It was easy to get excited considering how much young talent was already in place combined with the rookies they drafted such as Damon Arnette. Alas, things just haven’t clicked just yet. Kwiatkoski has been hampered due to injury, Littleton has struggled in a new system, and Nassib has been a non-factor.
It is too early to put a nail in the 2020 season for the Raiders, plenty of time still. These signings could still end up having a huge impact on the team, especially if the coaching can get it together, particularly the defense. At least Raider Nation can take solace in knowing their team isn’t afraid to drop big money moving forward.
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*Top Photo: USA TODAY Sports/Kirby Lee