The Las Vegas Raiders made the playoffs this past season after enduring one of the toughest campaigns as a team that we have witnessed.
They were 6-7 and dead in the water, but they rattled off four straight wins, including one against the Los Angeles Chargers, that had the country buzzing, and with three of the four wins coming against teams ahead of them in the standings, the Raiders earned that spot. They would eventually lose to the AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals, but they were only nine yards away from tying the game. Once that game ended, the questions started: What’s next for Derek Carr? Do they keep the coaching staff and general manager? What do they do in the draft? Will they make a splash? Raiders Twitter was a mess, and then, oh my, wow.
Making the playoffs isn’t enough for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders let interim coach Rich Bisaccia walk and fired Mike Mayock. Their replacements ended up coming from a hated part of the NFL world, at least in Raider Nation. The next coach and general manager tabbed were Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler of the New England Patriots.
The reception wasn’t overly warm at first amongst some. It had been 12 years since McDaniels’ previous stint as a head coach, and though that was a crash and burn, he had earned a second chance. He publicly backed Derek Carr and said he wanted to win with No. 4, but the rumors persisted. The rumor mill swirled more and more leading up to the free agency legal tampering period as fans were excited about the prospect of big names coming to Vegas.
Before it could get started, some blows were landed. An old friend, Khalil Mack, was traded to the Chargers, and Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos. Los Angeles dealt another blow to the AFC West when they picked up cornerback J.C. Jackson. Raiders fans and media called out for moves and instead received radio silence, but then, boom.
Dave Ziegler made his moves after a quiet start
The Raiders swung big and hit big as they picked up Chandler Jones, the player with the most sacks since 2012. They traded away Yannick Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts for corner Rock Ya-Sin in a straight player swap.
That move was received well. The Raiders had just elevated their pass rush immensely, and some of the back-and-forth chatter on Twitter calmed a bit. Las Vegas then hit the home run, a move many said was a pipe dream. The Raiders traded this year’s first and second-round picks for the best receiver in the NFL, Davante Adams.
They immediately signed him to an extension and the Raiders put their chips on the table. Almost immediately, the Silver and Black were launched into conversations about being the “best” in the West. With those moves, talk about Carr subsided. I mean, why would the Raiders acquire Adams if they were planning to move on from the signal-caller?
Despite not having a pick until the third round, the Raiders’ new brass made do with what they had and still came up with a solid draft class. Overall, Raider Nation is feeling good. Just take a look at Twitter or Facebook and you’ll see that optimism abounds.
The Raiders can now look forward to the future with joy
Since 2003, being a Raider fan has been tough. Countless empty seasons, draft busts after draft busts, seasons where records made no sense, and losses made no sense, except well, it’s the Raiders.
Salary cap hell, followed by a semblance of hope, only to be ripped away. The return of Chucky only leaves you with a stench of disgust. In this last season, they showed grit, heart, perseverance, and unity to push through to provide real hope. Even though the AFC West loaded up, moves made through free agency and the draft showed the Raiders have the competence and common sense that provide hope and excitement.
There were no “reaches” in the draft, and many of the picks were well received by the media. Needs were addressed and, for the first time in years, no “project” players were drafted. A refreshing sight for Raider Nation as the road to the 2022 season begins.
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*Top Photo: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken