by Paul Pulley | June 1, 2019
A few days ago, we took a look at what the Chargers did this off-season to improve their team, and now I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at the Oakland Raiders and their additions since last season, keeping an eye on our division opponents. The Raiders were pretty active in the off-season, looking to improve on their 4th place finish in the AFC West by adding a number of veteran players. Here are a few of their more recognizable acquisitions.
The biggest off-season move by the Raiders, was the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for WR Antonio Brown. Brown has been an extremely productive receiver, but after spending his first 9 seasons in Pittsburgh, It’ll be interesting to see if Brown can replicate his catches and yards in a different system with a different QB, at 31 years of age.
The largest off-season move by the Raiders, was making the 6-8, 380 pound OT, Trent Brown, the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL. Then HC Jon Gruden surprised everyone by stating that Brown would play right offensive tackle. Brown played ROT for the San Francisco 49ers, before playing LOT after being traded to the New England Patriots last year. Right tackle will be a better fit for him, as he struggled in pass protection at LOT.
The Raiders also signed:
- Former Kansas City Chief, 31 year old Jordan Devey to give their offensive line some much needed depth, after trading Kelechi Osemele to the New York Jets.
- Former Los Angeles Charger, the 6-4 WR, Tyrell Williams to a 4 year deal.
- The 30 year old and former Bronco, ILB Brandon Marshall to a one year contract.
- To top things off, in what could be considered two head scratching acquisitions, the Raiders signed former Cincinnati Bengals ILB, the almost 29 year old Vontaze Burfict, and if that weren’t enough, they recently signed the soon to be 36 year old, OG Richie Incognito. Incognito was out of the league last year, but with his off field issues, it’s hard to imagine the league not handing him some type of suspension.
On to the Raiders Draft
After all of their wheeling and dealing last season, the Raiders ended up with nine draft selections for the 2019 draft, three of which were in the first round.
Round 1, Pick 4; DE Clelin Ferrell, 6-4 and 264 pounds. After trading away one of the best DEs in the game and then suffering through a season with almost no pressure on opposing QBs, selecting an edge rusher was a no brainer for Oakland. Ferrell was very productive in college, but was a member of a defensive unit that was essentially a collegiate all pro line. It will be interesting to see if Ferrell can replicate that production versus NFL quality offensive players on a weekly basis.
Round 1, Pick 24; RB Josh Jacobs, 5-10 and 220 pounds. Jacobs will be the Raiders hope of a Marshawn Lynch replacement. Jacobs saw just intermittent use at Alabama, but was fairly productive when on the field. We’ll leave the debate of the sagacity of drafting a RB in the 1st round to another day, but I will say that the Raiders making this pick is good for the Chiefs.
Round 1, Pick 27; S Johnathan Abram, 5-11 and 205 pounds. A hard hitting, good tackling strong safety with decent coverage skills. Abram should eventually be a quality addition to the Raiders secondary.
Round 2, Pick 8; CB Trayvon Mullen, 6-1 and 200 pounds. Mullen may be the Raiders best draft pick this year. A lengthy, fluid corner with good speed and with experience in all coverages. He could begin the season starting opposite Gareon Conley.
Round 4, Pick 4; DE Maxx Crosby. 6-5 and 255 pounds. A high effort, developmental player with the potential to be a good pass rusher and run defender.
Round 4, Pick 27; CB Isaiah Johnson, 6-2 and 208 pounds. Another tall corner with good speed, but is limited in experience. Johnson started his college career as a receiver before switching to corner his last two seasons. He will need time to develop but could turn into a very good pick.
Round 4, Pick 35; TE Foster Moreau, 6-4 and 253 pounds. More of a blocking type TE. Moreau had modest receiving stats at LSU and won’t be a big threat in the passing game.
Round 5, Pick 11; WR Hunter Renfrow, 5-10 and 185 pounds. While not very big and not very fast, Renfrow runs good routes and has good hands. Probably limited to the slot as a receiver and will have to make the team as a special teamer.
Round 7, Pick 16; DE Quinton Bell, 6-4 and 220 pounds. A highly athletic prospect that only played one year on defense after spending his first three as a WR. Most likely a practice squad player that will need to add weight and learn for a couple years before he sees playing time.
It appears the Raiders drafted solely for need, using a third of their picks on potential pass rushers. But they did have the leagues worst pass rush last season. Using another third of their picks on the secondary, plus using an early selection on a running back addressed their weaknesses. Gruden must have been enamored with the National Champions, as three of his selections came from Clemson.
An Overview of the Raiders Offseason
The Oakland Raiders added quite a number of veteran players this off-season. I’m sure it will take some time to get all the pieces working together, just like it does for every other team. If I were a Raiders fan, I would probably like this draft, but honestly, I’m not overly impressed. Ferrell, Jacobs and Mullen will probably be immediate starters, but I don’t think they’ll be able to give a huge boost to the team right away.
While the team is in the second season under head coach Jon Gruden and offensive coordinator Greg Olson, they’re going to struggle offensively early in the season, and maybe all season. 5 of their top 6 receivers from last year are no longer with the team, TE Jared Cook (FA, signed with the Saints), WR Jordy Nelson (retired), WR Seth Roberts (released and signed with the Ravens), Amari Cooper (traded to Dallas last season), and Martavis Bryant (indefinite suspension), not to mention that Derek Carr is still the man under center. The Raiders also have several new pieces on defense, including 1st year coordinator, Paul Guenther.
We’ve all read and/or heard that the Chiefs will have a harder schedule this year. Well, maybe or maybe not, but the truth is, 87.5% of any season’s schedule is the same for every team within each division. Intra-divisional opponents have 14 common games. For the Raiders, the two that deviate from the rest will be games versus the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Raiders begin their season with a Monday night game at home versus the Broncos, which they should win, but then they may not win another game until week 9. I do think they can finish the season at 6-10, maybe ending in a tie with the Broncos.
Paul Pulley — ArrowheadOne
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