Las Vegas Raiders Thread

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120360915#Comment_120360915

100% Agree - I don't want any piece of the dog and pony show around Aaron Rodgers. We will have enough on our plate to sort out the team as is. I think Hunter Renfrow could easily be traded as well - last year was not a great year for him with injuries and form and he is a legacy player from Grudens time.

Prefab Sprouter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120364618#Comment_120364618

I'd like to see Renfrow given a chance but as you say he is a legacy player. Whats concerning me though is that we seem to be using Foxboro as a recruiting Centre, thats not necessarily a bad thing but an overdependance on the Patriots is a little hard to stomach, well for me anyways. Tuck Rule n all that!!!

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120365127#Comment_120365127

Yeah its a tough one to stomach but its in the past - the stupid rule at the time was the problem not the Patriots. Doesn't make is any easier I know to see a team that made the playoffs get disassembled piece by piece for the 2nd time in the last 10 years.

heyjude

I'm feeling very apprehensive about the draft. Ziegler and McDaniels are an unknown quantity as regards drafting, having had no picks in the first two rounds last year after the Adams trade. I am uneasy though, when it is abundantly obvious that the team can't make any progress until the defence is sorted out, that McDaniels may seek to copy Gruden and use a high pick on an offensive player such as a quarterback/o-lineman/tight end, that may be of little help to the team this year.

Facing Mahomes,Herbert and Wilson in their own division and having recorded one of the lowest sack totals in the league last year, relying solely on Maxx Crosby again won't work (unless Chandler Jones has a revival year) and neither will drafting a de or lb in the 4th round or later and hope they develop as Crosby has done. Trading up into the top 5 and picking a quarterback, and giving up your top picks this year and next for a player that won't play for a year or two, also stinks as an idea.

At this stage I'd grab Carter if he was still on the board, red flags and all. If they trade back, I'd only be prepared to go back 3-4 places, as we already have 12 picks(mostly on day 3), but there is a limit to how many rookies will make the 53 man roster.

So its defence, defence, defence for me. I'll also be waiting to see if rumours of draft day trades involving Josh Jacobs or Hunter Renfrow come to anything

I.am.Putins.raging.bile.duct

Ive a feeling the raiders will make a trade with the steelers for the 32nd pick

InsideEdge

If they do make a trade I hope its for a corner back, Porter would be a good addition.

Prefab Sprouter

Okay, well I'm not disappointed with our draft. We didnt overreach in the 1st 2 rounds as we are used to seeing happen. We drafted D at no.7 and at least we didnt try to sell the farm to get a QB. I'm interested to see how the roster fills out in the 2nd wave of Free Agency, we need to get our hands on a starting ILB and address the secondary/O-line.

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120539898#Comment_120539898

Yeah its so hard to gauge the draft now until you see how the new players gel with the current squad but I am relieved to see there was a balance to Offense and Defense for the picks - if some of the defensive picks can contribute this year that would be really welcome.

Prefab Sprouter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544549#Comment_120544549

I'm keeping my fingers crossed Kev, we can but hope!!

Kev8360

Just looking at our first 4 games to start the season and it looks brutal - away to broncos , chargers and bills and home to steelers... it's going to be a rough start for Jimmy Garropolo . Hope our line can protect him

kaftan

Jimmy gets the ball away faster than most, need a decent playbook but surely can’t go wrong with Adams, Meyers and Renfrow.

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120586031#Comment_120586031

Well I really hope his foot surgery has gone well - that was a nasty surprise for sure. Seems like his contract has been reworked to give us some security in case he's not ready to go wk1. QB room is definitely a work in progress...

eire4

After so many years of failure its not hard to be pessimistic about a new season for the Raiders but I am seeing nothing to suggest to me that this season will be anything other then yet another losing season. Hope I am way off but looking at the first months schedule alone and it looks rough.

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120806800#Comment_120806800

true its not been easy watching lately - the one positive I take from the NFL is that each season there is a chance to wipe the slate clean and if you get a few good performances in early momentum can kick in - look at 2014 when we made the playoffs with some clutch last minute wins. Talent wise I think the current team is better than that offensively. Defensively who knows but if you can score you have a chance.

However it goes we need to stay true to the new plan - no use in sacking head coaches and GMs every 2-3 yrs - we will never get anywhere with that strategy

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120815617#Comment_120815617

All fair points and I like your optimism. Time will tell and especially that first 4 games given what a tough opening that is. How well the team ultimately does is probably going to come down to the defense IMHO as it certainly looks the team will be able to put points on the board.

Kev8360

The more I see of the Josh Jacob's situation the more I see him sitting out this this season

McDaniels and the front office won't put a significant investment in RBs which I think is short sighted in this case. We lose a massive piece of our offense at a time when we could have relied on him to help out an injury prone QB with a shaky o line in pass protection.

Maybe there is a clever plan at work here but I can't see it....

InsideEdge

I don't think Jacobs will sit out the season, it would cost him too much money. He can sit out training and pre-season games without being penalised financially but would be mad to sit out the whole season.

Running Backs just aren't valued in the NFL these days, it's hard to replicate a season like Jacobs had last year due to the sheer physical effects it takes on their bodies. As well as that, a rookie/year 1 or 2 starter playing at a decent level would be fine considering the weapons the Raiders have on offence. The bigger concern is the durability, or lack of it, of Garoppolo!

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120865995#Comment_120865995

For sure RBs are really undervalued - I cant see any of the RBs up for new contracts this year getting what they want. Still I would be surprised if we see him on the field week 1.

InsideEdge

I agree, RBs are completely undervalued but that's the market in the NFL these days - average receivers get way more money than RBs. The last RB to hold out for a season, Le'Von Bell, admitted afterwards that it wasn't worth the financial hit and didn't improve his contract position so I'd be very surprised if Jacobs is not there for the first game. Same goes for Barkley at the Giants.

InsideEdge

Aidan O'Connell looked calm and composed on Sunday, could be the back-up this season ahead of Hoyer if he keeps developing like this. Very impressed with the second string defense also, a lot more intensity, pressure and communication shown in one pre-season game than in most of last year's regular season!

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120980474#Comment_120980474

very early in preseason but yes it was a really solid display from him on a first outing. looking forward to seeing him against the Rams this weekend. Also really good to see Tyree Wilson activated from the PUP list.

Kev8360

Aidan O'Connell again looked pretty solid against the rams backups - certainly had a better outing than Hoyer. It will be an interesting battle in the last week to see how they both fare vs cowboys for the QB2 spot

Prefab Sprouter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121008599#Comment_121008599

He did, didnt he? Its nice to see that we might have unearthed a nugget from the draft, its not an area of strength for us so a definite plus. The fact that he looks comfortable in McDaniel's offense shows that someone at last is doing their homework in the Scouting Department. The Defense is also getting a lot of praise, although I'm not listening to that, lets see what happens with Denver week 1. I'm neither excited nor disappointed with the offseason, which is strange for me. I'm hopeful that we might end up surprising some people and teams through the season, and it would be nice to be competitive for the majority of the season. Fingers crossed!

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121019877#Comment_121019877

Yep Preseason is no way an indicator for how teams will do when the real season kicks off - teams hardly played any starters so cant get a good indication of where they are at. Away to Denver is a good test to see how we will be this year.

InsideEdge

There are positive indications that the DL will be a lot stronger this season with associated benefits for the Defensive Backs, which is good news if it pans out that way.

Kev8360

Good news to see Josh Jacobs signed 1yr deal. I think it's a win for both him and the raiders - he got more than the tag and we get a quality RB for this season.

InsideEdge

Yep, he was never going to be a hold-out this season. Gets a better deal than Barkley at the Giants too!

Prefab Sprouter

I'm almost afraid to be optimistic but Jacobs signing definitely makes the Offense a lot better. We will go as far as the Defense and Jimmy G's health takes us but I think he is a decent QB and he seems very assured in his role (Unlike a lot of Raider forums, I refuse to compare him to "He who cannot be named"!! LOL). Roll on Denver, I say.

Kev8360

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121039095#Comment_121039095

likewise I am not overly optimistic on this season - I feel like the defense still needs some additions specifically at linebacker and safety. Anything over 7 wins will be a success with the schedule we have.

InsideEdge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121043893#Comment_121043893

Yep, the schedule is pretty brutal so 7+ wins would be a really good season. It's some turnaround with the roster - only 14 players remain from the pre-Ziegler/McDaniels era so the pressure will start to mount on them if the next couple of seasons are disastrous.